A man has been jailed after admitting to injuring a teenage boy with a knife during a fight in Stone last year.
Jamie Coleman, 34, of Stone, was sentenced to 40 months in prison at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on 3rd February 2025 after pleading guilty to wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
The court heard that police were called to Westbridge Park at around 9.20 pm on 2nd August 2024, following reports of a possible stabbing. Officers arrived to find a 15-year-old boy with a large slash wound to his neck. An off-duty paramedic who was in the area had provided initial medical assistance before the boy was taken to hospital, where he received a number of stitches.
CCTV footage later confirmed that Coleman had been involved in a fight with the victim, during which he produced a Stanley knife and swung it towards the boy’s face before leaving the scene.
Earlier in the evening, Coleman had been in the park and had an altercation with a group of young people. Police had instructed him to leave the area, but he returned a short time later and carried out the attack.
Coleman was arrested after returning to the scene again, having washed blood from his hands.
Alongside his prison sentence, he has been issued with a restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Edward Taylor-Brown, of Stoke South local policing team, said:
“This was a violent and targeted attack on a child which has understandably had a profound effect on them.
“Thanks to the quick actions of an off-duty paramedic, the victim has been able to make a full physical recovery, though the psychological impact of what happened continues to affect him.”
“I am pleased Coleman admitted his offending in court and that he was handed a custodial sentence for his actions which could have resulted in a fatality if it hadn’t have been for the help of a passerby.”
“I would commend the courage of the victim in assisting us with our inquiries and hope the sentence provides some comfort to him and his family as he continues his recovery.”
“This result shows our dedication to securing justice for the victims of violent crime.”
“The sentence sends a clear message that those that choose to carry and use knives will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Police have reiterated their stance on knife crime, stressing that those found carrying or using weapons will face prosecution.
7 comments
Trev
Could me mental heath due to the amount of weed this lad smoked and always has .
Dawn
This is heartbreaking to read Norma and it does not surprise me in the least that you have been so badly let down and failed so horrendously by all the services you mention. How typical that only half a story has been published that whitewashes the truth. Utterly shameful. Absolute zero accountability. I commend your bravery in speaking out in behalf of your son and the truth. Maybe on the back of your testimony this published “story” will be corrected and apologies issued. The whole mental health/justice system is broken and will continue to fail people. A Little Bit of Stone is known for reporting gross misinformation (the recent vaccine article is a prime example). Narrative followers with zero critical thinking skills. Who can now trust anything they publish???
Norma Dawson
Jamie Coleman is my son.
PC Edward’s needs to come and knock on my door in fact I invite him to .
The write up in the sentinel and here is half a story .
Staffordshire police as you read could could have prevented this incident for sure .
This gang had been bulling and intimidating my sons children to the dregree of self harm schools were informed and the police.
Has family we in no way shape or form confine my sons actions but Megan Roger’s Pcso staffs police and the NHS that mass failed my son on numerous occasions I will hold accountable.
I Gas his mother spoke out on numerous occasions to the services in my sons presence within multiple crisis team’s meetings by Stoke crisis team , Staffordshire crisis team also his CON from St George’s hospital all down played the severity of my sons mental health crisis .
I will hold you all accountable including Staffordshire children’s services , Staffordshire police , the NHS and extended community services you were all involved none of you did a thing to safe guarding my son and community.
I write statement to a family court Jude stating my son needed a full psychiatric assessment and also should not be community of left alone children not professionally took that onboard .
This is a Mass Safeguarding Failure.
The authorities failed my son the boy injured including Staffordshire police and his family.
This incident was preventable .
Years of dispersal orders through this town on young people.
My son worked in this town with dementia patients he would never of harmed anyone. Sadly after been failed by the system that should of uplifted him he was let din and numerous extended families of the back of this including the boy have harmed,
The boys family isn’t innocent in there illegal activities within in the town grandma is on bail fir child trafficking people trafficking and county lines.
I gas a mother have gone above and beyond to safe guard everyone.
This is my only son who is my life I will not all you all to do this to him what he did was. Wring has family we are mortified and offer apologies to this family.
But after being court and watching the horrendous video of the tragic incident this boy wasn’t deescalating no situation he escalated it my son was as gang mobbed unindated by a mob of teenagers he nearly got hit by a car , he didn’t go out with intent to cause wounding the knife was in his pocket from laying artificial turf that late afternoon , he lives with complex MH and addiction as a family we have been raising concerns with ALL services myself ringing ST George’s hospital and being dismissed .
A statement was given to the court from a member of the public that stated that my son was in his knees in mansion house stone Gzp practice begging to be sectioned the week prior , a ambulance was called he was taken there from he doctors and he was dismissed early hours the next morning with no mental health support no phone no money and a of duty paramedic pick him up from the side of the road because he felt sorry for him !!!
Person entered care ?
We’re was the concern then for public safety ?
At that point my son was a stranger from me .
He’s had numerous divide attempts and was sick mentally unwell and vulnerable.
Now my son is sentenced and put into a facility that’s still failing him.
Prison is a punishment yes but rehabilitation is supposed to be key .
75 per cent of the prison population have been failed by mental health services and all you do called professionals that care fail your not fit for purpose like this government isn’t and the one previous!
My son wasn’t dragged up he was raised well with live and care integrity and I’m appalled by you all.
jon flinton
raised well to stab kids this world is a joke if that was my son i would put him in a box under no circumstance should anyone be stabbed or slashed no matter the reason your son should get the death sentence 34 stabbing 15 year old people need to wake up
living in stone
no matter what you think – this situation could’ve been prevented. criminals become criminals because they’re ignored by the system at early stages. the system fails people everyday. even the worst of the criminals could’ve been helped from the start but because police and community services ignoring them and choosing to place the blame on them for being the way they are, these criminals only get worse. criminals are still humans but have a worse backstory. educate yourself.
Woman of Stone
Jon Flinton, you clearly lack reading comprehension skills, so I’ll sum it up for you:
Jamie, the man sentenced to jail, clearly had some serious mental health issues that were never adequately addressed. Despite his mother’s best efforts to get him help, no health authority took her concerns seriously enough to offer him any support. He’s an adult, not a child, and his mother could only do so much to help him; and often, people with severe mental health issues struggle to reach out for help on their own. Jamie was tragically failed by community mental health services—this severely ill man was left to confront his life-threatening issues alone, a dire reality that far too many people with mental health struggles are forced to endure.
I want to make it clear that no one is excusing his behaviour—what he did was undeniably wrong. However, context is crucial, and in this case, it highlights a much larger issue within the system as a whole.
I agree with Norma that this incident could have been prevented. People like Jamie need early intervention from a specialized mental health team as soon as concerns arise. Too often, these concerns are ignored or not taken seriously, causing the person’s mental health to deteriorate further, eventually reaching a crisis point.
Jon, your close-minded and bigoted views are part of the problem. No intelligent person would support the death penalty (especially for a non-lethal knife attack!) or blame an adult man’s parents for his actions during a mental health crisis. If you’re looking to place blame, direct it at the government and the lack of funding for the NHS.
I would lastly like to add that if you’re unwilling to reconsider your views in light of facts and are quick to jump to judgment, you’re merely reflecting ignorance and a lack of empathy, making your opinion irrelevant.
Have a good day, Jon. I hope next time you’ll take a moment to think before posting something so thoughtless.
Jon Cook
Norma, I have sent you an email.