Stoke-on-Trent teenager slashed friend's face 'to the bone' in sickening knife attack after smashing his way inside house

A Stoke-on-Trent teenager slashed his friend's face 'to the bone' after smashing his way inside a house.

Kailem Wade Whitehouse lashed out with the kitchen knife and his terrified victims were forced to use a door as a 'shield'.

But one of the 18-year-old's thrusts got through and sliced open his pal's skin.

Whitehouse, who also goes by the name Jay Smith, then fled the property leading to armed officers, a dog unit and police helicopter swooping on the scene.

Now the defendant, of no fixed address but formerly of Stoke-on-Trent, has been locked up for 18 months in youth detention, WalesOnline reports.

Swansea Crown Court heard Whitehouse became involved in an exchange of text messages with the girlfriend of a man he knew called Martin Smith about money on the morning of March 26.

Shortly afterwards Whitehouse, who had recently moved from the Potteries to Swansea to be with his girlfriend, turned up at Mr Smith's house and let himself in.

Ian Wright, prosecuting, told the court Whitehouse had previously been a frequent visitor, sometimes going there several times a day.

Laying on the sofa in the house was a man called Luigi Richards who was staying with Mr Smith because his sister was self-isolating as a coronavrius precaution.

The court heard Mr Richards told Whitehouse he shouldn't be in the house because of the lockdown at which point the defendant began swearing and issuing threats, saying he was going to stab the man and 'take his head off'.

Whitehouse grabbed a knife, thought to be a butter knife, and told Mr Richards he was going to kill him.

A struggle then ensued in which Mr Richards managed to pull Whitehouse's top over his head and caused him to lose balance.

Mr Richards and Mr Smith were then able to grab the attacker and bundle him out of the property. However the defendant soon returned.

Mr Wright said the teenager smashed the living room window and climbed back into the house and this time he grabbed a 'more substantial knife'.

He then launched an attack on the two men, forcing them to use an internal door that had been removed from its hinges to fend off the blows.

But one of the blows got around the side of the door and caught Mr Smith on the face.

Whitehouse fled the scene and police began an area search before he was located shortly afterwards and arrested.

As he was cautioned, Whitehouse replied: "Where's your proof I done it?" When searched he was found to be in possession of cannabis.

The court heard the knife attack happened just weeks after Whitehouse was arrested and charged after police witnessed a suspicious exchange between two men who then got in a taxi on February 29.

Police followed the cab for a short distance before stopping it. In the front passenger's seat was Whitehouse and hidden inside a pair of gloves found at his feet was a lock knife. When the teenager was searched he was found to be in possession of cannabis and heroin.

In a victim impact statement Mr Smith said the attack had exacerbated his existing anxiety and he said he was suffering with flashbacks and difficulties in sleeping.

He said he sustained a two-centimetre wound which had 'cut to the bone' and had gone to hospital for help but due to the long wait in A&E had left before being seen by medics.

Whitehouse admitted possession of a bladed article, possession of heroin and cannabis, and failing to attend court in relation to the taxi incident, and to making threats to kill, inflicting grievous bodily harm, criminal damage, and possession of cannabis in relation.

The court heard he has convictions from Staffordshire Juvenile Court from 2018 for possession of a bladed article and possession of a bladed article on school premises.

Stuart John, for Whitehouse, said the background to the offending was the teenager's heroin addiction but that he had made progress during his six weeks on remand in prison and hoped to continue that good work.

The advocate said the defendant had a 'supportive family' in Stoke-on-Trent and after the end of the custodial sentence he was facing he wished to return to his home city and 'begin turning his life around'.