A COURT judge warned of a ‘complete storm’ of knife attacks as he jailed a 16-year old for another vicious stabbing at an Oxford park.

The teenager was given more than five years in jail after brutally slashing a man with a 12-inch knife in Cowley during a gang-related robbery.

The latest knife violence comes after a gang of men were convicted of a stabbing in Blackbird Leys this week, as well as the death of a 22-year-old in Southfield Road the week before.

ALSO READ: Four men charged with murder as Southfield stabbing victim named

On Wednesday, a surge in knife crime across the country prompted the ex-Thames Valley Police chief constable Sara Thornton to warn of a national 'emergency’.

And Thames Valley Police is cracking down on the growing problem with a week-long amnesty from Monday as part of Operation Sceptre, with 'knife surrender bins' across Oxfordshire.

Read more about the amnesty here

In sentencing the latest teenager involved in a brutal gang stabbing at Oxford Crown Court yesterday, Judge Peter Ross warned that there was a country-wide ‘maelstrom’ of similar acts of violence.

He said: “You are 16 years old and you have committed a series of serious offences, one of which is an extremely serious offence.

“I am extremely conscious as I expect is everyone in this court room that I am passing sentence while in the grip of a complete storm surrounding the issue of knives and their violent use.

“The press is full of reports of children and young persons who have been recruited by drug dealers in order to carry drugs or to enforce drug debts often with violence, all too frequently with knives.”

ALSO READ: Body in burnt-out car - what do the police know?

At the hearing yesterday the Oxford Mail attempted to challenge a reporting restriction guarding the 16-year old’s anonymity, in light of the 'significant public interest' surrounding knife crime both locally and nationally.

Judge Ross however refused to lift a Section 45 order and said ‘there is no public interest’ in naming the 16-year old.

Outlining the details of the latest stabbing case yesterday, prosecutor Naomi Perry said that the 16-year old left his victim with life-long injuries after the daytime attack in a Cowley park at Barns Road on May 27 last year.

The court heard that the boy had carried out the attack in a bid to 'impress' his fellow gang members and armed with a 30cm blade he approached victims Carlos Mendes and Arlindo Santos, who were sat on a bench at the park.

With a black bandana pulled over his face he demanded money and when the men said they had none he threatened to stab them.

ALSO READ: 10 knives found by Thames Valley Police on Didcot's streets

Mr Santos then handed over £10 and the pair tried to walk away, but as they neared the park’s perimeter, the boy blocked them.

Mr Mendes attempted to push past, the court heard, at which point the robber knifed him twice and the blade slashed his stomach and his left arm as he tried to defend himself.

The v-shaped wound on his forearm had cut down to the muscle, the court heard, and he required surgery.

The victim managed to pull his attacker’s bandana free and catch a glimpse of his face, at which point he ran off and members of the public came to his aid.

Police arrested the robber soon after the attack and, apparently realising the repercussions of his actions, he told officers: “You may as well kill me now.”

The court also heard how he had been on bail at the time of the attack, for robbing a pupil outside an Oxford school weeks earlier.

In that incident and in the presence of about 15 people he approached his victim, his mouth covered by a cycling mask, and demanded he handed over his bag.

After he refused, the court heard, he lifted his jumper to flash the knife he was carrying.

The victim then gave him the bag, the court heard, which was worth £1,000 and was carrying his gym clothes.

Despite a trial being set for the May offence the 16-year old later had a change of heart and admitted all four counts of wounding with intent, robbery, attempted robbery and having a bladed article.

In mitigation at the sentencing hearing his defence barrister John Simmons said that his client was ‘sad, remorseful and regretful’ at what he had done and ‘knows that he stabbed a man and could have taken his life.’

He was jailed for a total of five years and four months for the four offences, made up of 18 months for one count of robbery, one of attempted robbery and another of having a bladed article, to run concurrently with five years and four months for wounding with intent.