Woman
‘stabbed
cyclist she
thought
was thief’

The victim, Lance Tulloch, then 24, had been cycling in a local park when he decided to get something to eat from a shop near Ball Royd Road, Huddersfield.

As he approached he saw Gabriella Attidore arguing outside the shop. She was shouting and he briefly stopped to watch along with other people in the area, Richard Canning, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday.

He then went into the shop, got his food and was cycling away when he suddenly felt a blow to his back.

Mr Tulloch turned to see Attidore holding a Swiss army type knife with a three inch blade and realised he had been stabbed.

When he asked if that was what she had done she agreed and looked at him for a few seconds before getting on a scooter and riding off.

Mr Canning said Attidore said in her basis of plea that she had been robbed of £100 by a gang and shot with a ball bearing gun.

She said one of the gang had also dropped the knife and she had picked it up when she then saw Mr Tulloch approaching.

She said: “I assumed the complainant was part of the group because he rushed towards me on his bike.”

Mr Canning said Attidore accepted causing a 2cm wound to Mr Tulloch who had two stitches under local anaesthetic when he was taken to hospital.

Attidore, 20, of Holme Park Court, Berry Brow, Huddersfield admitted unlawful wounding on August 5 last year.

Sentencing her to 51 weeks detention suspended for 12 months with 200 hours of unpaid work, Judge James Spencer QC said it was a serious offence but he had been swayed against locking her up immediately by the progress she had made since gaining a job and her own accommodation and demonstrating some maturity.

“You have pleaded guilty on the basis of recklessness, swinging out the knife having picked it up from the floor.

“You must understand when you behave in that way with a knife there is always the possibility someone will get hurt, as he did. He was blameless and suffered this wound which required stitches and no doubt underwent some painful treatment.”

Adam Birkby, representing Attidore, said she had taken responsibility for what had happened and was willing to do unpaid work. “It has been a salutary experience.”