A TEENAGER who left a man needing 25 stitches and 40 staples in Bury has been jailed for his "atrocious" crime.

The 17-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was sentenced on to six years in a young offenders institute when he appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court on Friday. At an earlier hearing he had pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

The court heard how the 30-year-old victim had been celebrating a birthday in Bury town centre last October before his friend became involved in a verbal altercation with a man. The man was then seen engaging with the teenager who proceeded to approach the victim as he was walking towards the taxi rank. The teen then struck the man with a bladed weapon on Bolton Street before fleeing the scene on foot. He threw his jacket over his head as he left in an attempt to avoid detection.

The victim was left with several injuries including a fractured cheekbone and a large wound to the front of his head which required 25 stitches to heal. He was also left with a deep laceration to the back of his head which required 40 staples to close.

Following enquiries, officers were able to trace the teen who was subsequently arrested. He stated ‘no comment’ to every question put to him by officers throughout the entire investigation.

Detective Constable Dave Looby, of GMP’s Bury district, said: “This was a senseless and violent attack on a man who had been enjoying his weekend with his friends and thankfully today we have been able to bring the person responsible to justice. The victim has been recovering well from his ordeal and hopefully today’s sentence helps to provide him with some closure.

“Information received by members of the public following this incident hugely assisted with our enquiries and I would like to thank those who came forward with information. Violent attacks have absolutely no place on our streets and we are committed to tackling those who carry out these atrocious crimes.”