A trio of teen boys have appeared in court in connection with a stabbing a man in the chest in Banbury.

Prosecutors say the alleged victim, 21-year-old Danils Bogdancevs, was stabbed three times in the chest and once in the spine by a group in People’s Park on Saturday afternoon.

He was taken to hospital, where he remains in what the police this morning termed a ‘stable’ condition.

READ MORE: Man 'fighting for his life' after stabbing in park

The motivation for the alleged attack was ‘unclear’, prosecutor Alastair Yapp told Oxford Youth Court this afternoon.

The three teenagers, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were not asked to enter pleas to a joint charge of attempted murder when they appeared before the district judge in a series of sequential hearings over the course of 75 minutes.

The 15-year-old boy was from Oxford. The two 16-year-olds were both from Banbury.

All the boys appeared in the dock wearing grey tracksuits. They spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses. Their lawyers indicated the allegations were denied.

District Judge Kamlesh Rana remanded each of the boys to youth detention accommodation to attend Oxford Crown Court on July 15 for a plea and trial preparation hearing.

Echoing what she told each of the defendants, the judge told the second accused: “This is a very serious charge. I cannot deal with it at this court so I am sending it automatically to the crown court.”

Hibah Haider-Rizvi and Richard Demczak appeared on behalf of the older two boys. India Ferris represented the younger boy.

In an appeal for witnesses on Sunday, senior investigating officer DI Rob Platt of Banbury police station, said: “I would like to thank those members of the public who came to the aid of the injured man.

“Their actions are greatly appreciated as they provided emergency first aid to the victim before medical professionals arrived.”

He added: “I appreciate that this incident has caused concern in the local community, but I would reassure the public that we are investigating the circumstances thoroughly, and although in the early stages of the investigation, are making progress with these enquiries.

“I would ask those who have camera footage of the incident to please not share this online on social media, but instead, please get in touch with Thames Valley Police.

“There will be an increased police presence in the area while this investigation continues, and if you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to speak to any of our officers and staff.

“I would also like to thank the community for their patience and understanding while we investigate this incident.”

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward