Two men involved in a gangland stabbing near a takeaway in Luton have been jailed for a total of more than 14 years.
Clayton Newton and Jordan Jones were members of affiliated gangs and targeted another individual linked to a rival gang during the incident in Eaton Green Road earlier this year.
The victim was sat in his car outside a takeaway in Eaton Green Road at around 2pm on March 8, when Newton and Jones got out of a vehicle parked nearby armed with knives.
They then launched a frenzied attack on the vehicle, specifically targeting the victim sat in the driver’s seat.
He received multiple stab wounds in the attack.
He was airlifted to hospital in London and while his injuries were initially feared to be life threatening, he is now recovering.
A member of the public saw part of the attack and reported to police that the attackers had fled the scene in a white Vauxhall Corsa parked nearby.
An armed police unit then spotted a vehicle matching this description on the A505 travelling towards Hitchin.
When armed officers moved in behind the vehicle, a man got out of the car and ran off on foot towards Hitchin town centre.
Officers eventually caught up with the man who ran away from the vehicle, who was Newton, and arrested him. The victim’s blood was recovered from Newton’s trainers. Jones was the registered owner of the vehicle.
Officers who carried out a warrant at his home address recognised him from the CCTV of the attack outside the takeaway.
Further enquiries managed to establish a phone number for Jones, and analysis showed that this phone was in the area at the time of the stabbing and then travelled to Hitchin.
Newton, 21, of Anmer Gardens, Luton, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and possession of a bladed article, while Jones, 20, of Crawley Green Road, Luton, also pleaded guilty to the GBH offence.
On Tuesday, June 6, 2021, Newton was jailed for eight years and three months, as well as a concurrent sentence of nine months for the weapons offence. Jones received a prison sentence of six years.
DC Colin Knight, from Bedfordshire Police’s Boson guns and gangs team, which led the investigation, said: “This swift and comprehensive investigation has quickly brought two people to justice for this truly shocking, vicious and frenzied attack.
“Jones and Newton were intent on causing the victim huge harm, all in the name of gangland rivalry. Given the ferocity and remorselessness of this attack, it is lucky the victim did not come to more serious harm.
“While there has been some superb police work involved, from pursuing Newton on foot through to the forensic investigation work which placed Jones at the scene, information from the public has directly enabled this to happen.
“Without that initial caller having the courage to tell us about this stabbing and the vehicle the attackers were leaving in, so much of this good work which happened afterwards would not have been possible.
“By telling us what you know, you can help us get violent and dangerous offenders like Jones and Newton off the streets.”
Recorded incidents of serious youth violence are down by around 15 per cent in the 12 months to April this year, compared to the 12 months until September 2019.
Detective Chief Inspector Louisa Glynn said: “We have made enormous strides in taking dangerous weapons off the streets, tackling the drivers of serious violence such as drug dealing and organised crime, locking up offenders and working with partners to offer young people vulnerable to violence and exploitation a better path.
“However, we are not getting complacent. We will continue to pursue those people involved in gangs, drug dealing and violence, as well as protecting people who are vulnerable to the exploitation that often comes with it.
“This case also encompasses the sad reality of life as a gang member. This is not a glamorous life choice and people should be under no illusion that this is the path such a lifestyle will lead you down.”
If you want to report any suspicious activity in your area, please report this information via 101 or through bedfordshire.police.uk/report
All of this information is fed into police intelligence systems and helps the force build up a picture of organised crime, even if officers do not act on the information straight away. Alternatively you can report any information anonymously via Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111 or through Crimestoppers-uk.org
For more information about all forms of exploitation linked to organised crime please visit the Bedfordshire Against Violence and Exploitation campaign website at bavex.co.uk
The Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit supports people affected by gangs, knife crime and county lines. Visit bedsveru.org for more information.
