Maltby dad’s anger over “lenient” sentence for knife attack

Alan Medlock, of Cherry Tree Road, Maltby, spoke out after 21-year-old Keaton Johnson was given a suspended sentence for the assault, which left Curtis Medlock, also aged 21, with cuts to his chest and back and defence wounds to his hands.

Alan said: “We are lucky it was not more serious because the doctors told us it was a credit card’s thickness from his heart.

“You would expect them to be getting tough on knife crime and it just doesn’t seem right that he (Johnson) has been given a suspended sentence.

“I think they should be making an example of people who commit knife crime.

This sentence is too lenient ‑ there’s no deterrent.”

Johnson, of Vikinglea Drive, Sheffield, admitted wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and was sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court to eight months in prison suspended for 12 months plus 120 hours unpaid work. 

The attack took place last February at a house in East Herringthorpe where a relative of Curtis lived.

Alan (45) said: “Johnson had been bullying him before but on this occasion Curtis has retaliated.

’He’s not violent but he has answered back.

“Keaton has taken this knife and used it to stab him.

“Me and his mum got a call about what had happened and when we got there the bedroom had been cordoned off and there were police and an ambulance there ‑ it was horrendous.”

Alan said Curtis had been taken to the Northern General Hospital for his wounds ‑ including one damaging his liver ‑ to be treated and has recovered from his injuries, but still bears the scars of the attack.

His dad said: “It’s really knocked his confidence. He doesn’t want to go out anywhere now.”