Man stabbed victim in his leg after drunken New Year’s Eve argument in Sheffield city centre

Sheffield Crown Court heard on March 26 how Lewis Ball, aged 20, and Sultan Alzireg, aged 21, were captured on CCTV in a confrontation with another man in the Barker’s Pool area and near the Devonshire pub in Sheffield city centre.

Brian Outhwaite, prosecuting, said Ball produced a nine-inch long knife and waved it around and swiped it at the complainant before Alzireg picked something up from the ground and came from behind a taxi and stabbed the complainant in his left leg.

Recorder David Kelly told Ball: "Around midnight on New Year’s Eve, 2018, in Sheffield city centre, you brandished what I think is described as a hunting knife, I have seen those pictures.”

He added: “What the dispute was about I don’t know. It does not matter. You were clearly under the influence of drink which is an aggravating feature and you swung that knife dangerously close to his face. Though he was seemingly able to dodge the blows.”

Ball was arrested on Cambridge Street after he discarded the retrieved knife on a platform going to a multi-storey car park, according to Mr Outhwaite, and Alzireg was apprehended at a multi-storey car park.

Mr Outhwaite added Ball had also been carrying a bag which contained skunk cannabis.

Ball, of Molineaux Road, Shiregreen, Sheffield, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to threatening someone with an offensive weapon in public and to possessing cannabis.

Alzireg, of Windmill Lane, Pismire Hill, Sheffield, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to causing unlawful wounding after the incident between New Year’s Eve, 2018, and New Year’s Day, 2019.

Recorder Kelly told Alzireg: “Mr Ball was waving a hunting knife around close to his face. Not that that is your responsibility but what is your responsibility is that you picked up something from the ground which was said to be broken glass and you ran around the taxi and stabbed him in the thigh before running off.”

Francis Edusei, defending, said Ball suffers with ADHD and has a dependent two-year-old son and he has faced a long delay to be sentenced and has not been in any further trouble.

Nicholas Worsley, defending, said Alzireg had initially been been punched and he had picked up a broken piece of glass which he used against the complainant in the spur of the moment.

He added college student Alzireg works as an Amazon packer and for his family’s takeaway business and he is full of remorse.

Mr Worsley added: “He is a different man from the man he was at the time. The passage of time has changed him and he has matured and he’s demonstrated he can be a productive member of society.”

Recorder Kelly sentenced Ball to 12 months of custody suspended for two years with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement and a four-month curfew.

Alzireg was sentenced to 12 months of custody suspended for 18 months with 100 hours of unpaid work.

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