THE States police have moved to reassure Islanders that Jersey remains a safe community following an “isolated” incident in which a teenager was seriously injured by a 17-year-old girl brandishing a 41cm machete.
And officers have said that perpetrators who carry knives will face justice following the grave and criminal assault by the teenager, who left her victim with “significant injuries” to both his hands and long-lasting scars.
The machete attack is the latest knife-crime incident in Jersey and follows the Le Geyt stabbings in 2022, in which two teenagers attempted to murder a boy by repeatedly stabbing their victim in an estate in St Saviour. In another case in 2021 a man stabbed a fellow pub-goer with a large knife during a “brutal and calculated” revenge attack.
The 17-year-old girl – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was jailed for a year and given a three-year restraining order in the Royal Court this week.
Detective Inspector Christina MacLennan, of Criminal Investigations, said: “Jersey continues to be a safe place to live and visit. Many of the incidents reported are related to mental health, domestic incidents or threats only with few resulting in harm.
“Those who do cause harm are dealt with robustly and to ensure that offenders who carry or use knives face justice.”
The Royal Court heard that the girl brandished the knife – which belonged to the victim but was stolen ten days before the altercation – when she arrived at his door.
She claimed that she had drawn the knife but did not mean to injure him.
The victim grabbed the machete with his hands, the court heard, and the defendant spun the weapon, causing deep cuts to the victim’s hands – he was later taken to the hospital.
When police officers went to her flat later that night, she came out with her hands above her head, but when she was arrested she dropped to the floor and kicked an officer.
Speaking about the work that goes into investigating such cases, DI MacLennan said: “When investigating knife crime, we will look at the specifics relating to each case and assess if it is associated with drugs, domestic related, conflicts between individuals, drugs, robbery etc.
“Then, we will determine whether there are patterns that require focus ie availability and access to knives, locations where they are used, and those liable to carry and/or use knives.
“In this case the persons involved were known to each other, so it was an isolated incident.”
She added that many weapons were domestic items.
Responding to a query from the JEP about how the machete was bought, she added: “Other weapons can be purchased online and as such we have a close working relationship with Jersey Customs and Immigration Service who monitor the borders.”
