Two men jailed for a random knife attack on a group of friends in Newcastle city centre

Two men have been put behind bars for a total of four years and nine months after they carried out a random knife attack in Newcastle city centre.

During the early hours of Friday, December 30, 2022, a group of people on a work night out encountered Stephen Manjelo, 20, and Cameron Gatherar, 20, as they walked past the Royal Station Hotel.

Manjelo confronted the first victim, who was walking ahead of the group, and asked if he wanted to be stabbed.

He then saw Gatherar remove something from a bag before he was cut to the neck.

The second victim then attempted to separate his friend from the attackers but was stabbed in the neck and the back of the head.

A third victim tried to diffuse the situation, only to be stabbed to the bottom of his check, which entered his gum, once to the right side of his face and then on the back of his neck.

All three victims were aged in their late teens and early twenties at the time of the attack and have been left with varying degrees of trauma.

Police arrested both Manjelo and Gatherar shortly after the incident and when they were searched, officers found that Gatherar was carrying a flick knife.

Manjelo, of Belford Avenue in Shiremoor, and Cameron Gatherar, of Mowbray Street in Heaton, both pleaded guilty to two counts of grievous bodily harm and one count of actual bodily harm.

Gatherar also admitted to one count of possession of a bladed article.

Manjelo was jailed for two years and three months, while Gatherar was handed a two and a half year sentence at Newcastle Crown Court on Thursday, February 1.

Speaking after the sentencing, investigating officer DC Michelle Clark, of the British Transport Police, said: "The impact on these three, previously happy go lucky young men, has been catastrophic.

"One in particular, the youngest of the group who was only 18 at the time of the attack, continues to struggle with his studies and feels he can no longer go out in his hometown.

"He continues to have flashbacks and his physical injuries have left him with significant nerve damage in his face.

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“Knife crime continues to blight society and we are constantly working with other forces to concentrate our resources on removing them from society, and saving lives in the process.

"We are committed to keeping the public safe and removing deadly weapons and those who carry them from the rail network.”