Mobile phone brings knifeman to justice

Jul 10 2008 by Sam Wonfor, The Journal

A KNIFEMAN brought to justice with the aid of a mobile phone camera has been warned he faces jail.

Aaron Redpath was filmed by a shocked bystander as he stabbed rival Geno Davidson, 18, in a North Shields street on April 4 this year.

The footage was played at Newcastle Crown Court before a jury which yesterday found him guilty of wounding with intent by a majority verdict after deliberating three-and-a-half hours.

Redpath, 20, of The Quadrant, North Shields, had denied the charge but admitted the lesser offence of unlawful wounding, claiming he had the knife to scare the victim. He had been armed with a small hunting-style knife for what the prosecution described as a planned confrontation with Mr Davidson in Ripley Avenue on the Meadow Well Estate.

Mr Davidson suffered an inch-deep, inch-long wound to a shoulder. He refused to co-operate with police or court and did not give evidence at the trial.

Redpath was remanded in custody after sentence was adjourned to August 11 for a probation report. He was warned by Mr Recorder Crowson: “You will need to understand – and I’m sure you do – that the sentence will inevitably be a prison sentence and a substantial one.”