Knife-wielding West Bromwich attacker spared immediate jail term

A man who brandished a knife when he struck a man to the ground in West Bromwich town centre has been spared an immediate prison sentence.

Dwayne Rochester, 25, became embroiled in an argument with Levi Clarke when the pair were travelling on a bus between Dudley Port and West Bromwich on January 20. His suspended sentence was today branded 'very lenient' by knife crime campaigners.

Wolverhampton Crown Court was told that the dispute between the pair turned physical when they got off the bus on West Bromwich High Street.

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Mr Ian Windridge, prosecuting, said that Mr Clarke pushed Rochester who fell to the ground. He immediately got up and pursued Mr Clarke into the town centre, added the prosecutor.

"They were outside Max Spielmann when the defendant struck Mr Clarke once, knocking him to the ground," said Mr Windridge.

"He had a knife in his hand. He dropped the handle of the knife and threw the blade in a different direction."

The court heard that the two parts of the knife were recovered from the scene, while Rochester was arrested soon after the attack having been tracked on CCTV.

As a result of the assault the victim was left with an 8mm cut to his left forearm and a dislocated shoulder, added Mr Windridge.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mr Clarke said that he had suffered 'extreme pain' to his shoulder as a result of the dislocation.

Rochester had previously been before the court on eight occasions for a total of 13 offences, three of which were said to have involved violence.

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Mr Jasvir Mann, defending, said: "It was the complainant that chose to follow the defendant and push him. There after I accept the defendant was culpable. This man knows that he should never have reacted in the way that he did."

Mr Mann added that his client had carried the knife as part of his job as a builder's mate.

Rochester, of Woodward Close, West Bromwich, admitted possession of a knife and causing wounding without intent.

He was sentenced to 12 months in jail, suspended for two years. He was also placed under supervision for two years and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

Recorder Mr Christopher Goodchild told him: "It is clear that a more accurate description of you than a knife-wielding hooligan is a hard-working family man."

The Ben Kinsella Trust, which promotes knife-crime awareness, said it was surprising that Rochester had been spared an immediate prison sentence.

"I would say that is a surprising result, for it not to be a tougher sentence. I think that is a very lenient take on things," a spokeswoman said.

"One thing we focus on is educating young people from the age of nine upwards. We say young people from the age of nine are capable of knowing their responsibilities."