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Man hurt in early-hours stabbing

Adam Derbyshire
3/11/2008

A MAN was knifed in the back by a thug who had asked him for a cigarette just seconds earlier.

The 22-year-old had left a party in Hurst Cross at about 3.25am on Saturday to go to the Texaco garage on Lees Road to buy some cigarettes.

As he left the garage and started to cross the road a man approached him from the direction of Kenworthy Avenue and asked him for a cigarette.  The victim gave the man a cigarette and turned round to continue crossing the road.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his lower back, and realised he had been stabbed. He turned round to see the man running back towards Kenworthy Avenue.

The 22-year-old called an ambulance where he was taken to hospital to be treated for a deep wound to his back.  He has since been discharged from hospital.

The offender is described as white, of stocky build, about 5ft 11in tall and aged about 28. He had a shaved head and spoke with a local accent.

Detective constable Sue Hibbert said: “This man was simply minding his own business, and had actually been kind enough to give a stranger one of his cigarettes.

“Instead of thanking him this mindless criminal repaid him by stabbing him. This young man is really lucky not to be more seriously injured, or worse. We are determined to find the person who did this to him. If you have any information about what happened, or think you might have seen the offender in the area at the time, please call us straight away.”

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ashton CID on 0161 856 9255.