Three men have been sentenced to prison following a terrifying knife attack on a 17-year-old boy in Titchfield Park, Mansfield. The victim and a friend were confronted by the trio on the evening of 26 September 2022, shortly after 8:30 p.m.
According to court reports, the teenagers noticed the men watching them and attempted to leave the park. The suspects followed them, and two produced a knife, shouting, “Give us your money and you’ll be alright.” During the chase, one of the victims dropped his iPhone, and as he bent down to retrieve it, he was slashed twice on his right wrist. The attackers then stole his phone before fleeing the scene.
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A police investigation using CCTV footage identified Brandon Seaton-Gray, Brandon Cross, and Mckye Catton as the perpetrators. Seaton-Gray and Cross were recognized from distinctive clothing, while Catton was identified following a tip-off from the public.
At Nottingham Crown Court, Seaton-Gray, 21, of Sherwood Street, Warsop, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a knife in a public place and was sentenced to three years in prison. Cross, 21, of Birchfield Road, Arnold, pleaded guilty to possession of a knife but denied robbery; a jury found him guilty, and he was jailed for four years. Catton, 23, of Albert Street, Mansfield, also denied robbery but was convicted at trial and sentenced to four years in prison.
Detective Constable Michaela Williams, who led the investigation, described the attack as “a frightening knife-point robbery that had a profound effect on the injured victim and his friend” and called the offenders’ actions “cowardly.” She added, “I hope they will each now use their time in prison to reflect on their behaviour and change the direction of their lives.”
The sentences mark the conclusion of a case that highlighted the dangers posed by knife crime to vulnerable teenagers in the local community.