Four jailed following gang attack outside KFC in Mapperley

A knifeman who stabbed two people has been put behind bars following a gang attack outside a KFC restaurant in Mapperley.

Alwayne Barnes was armed with a Stanley knife when he decided to pick a fight with a car full of young people outside a the venue on Woodborough Road.

This confrontation came just seconds after Barnes and a group he was with catcalled an 18-year-old woman as she walked across the car park.

When the woman then got into a waiting car and reported what had just happened, the driver headed towards the exit while staring at Barnes.

Without any further provocation, the 44-year-old shouted at the motorist and made a beeline straight for the vehicle when it stopped in Woodborough Road.  

Barnes then punched the 18-year-old man in the face through an open window, before heading to the passenger side when a 20-year-old man got out.  

This victim would go on to be stabbed four times – in the chest, back and shoulders – at the hands of Barnes, during the melee that followed.

When the driver got out to help and tried to restrain Barnes, the attacker then lashed out at him – slashing his arm with the blade in the process.   

By that stage, associates Carl Pearson, Charlene Reid and Dale Burton had also run over to the car, with each joining in with the assault.

While Pearson and Burton both threw punches at the two men, Reid pulled the woman out of the vehicle and assaulted her too.

The attack, which happened at 3.30pm on September 7 2023, lasted less than 30 seconds, with Barnes and co all then fleeing from the scene.    

Meanwhile, the victims drove straight to hospital, where the 20-year-old man required surgery after the knife attack punctured his lung.   

On the way there, they flagged down the first police car they saw and passed on registration details for the other car, with officers scouring the area’s cameras to try and locate it.

Less than an hour later, Operational Support officers tracked down the vehicle to a petrol station in Carlton Road, Carlton, where they detained the foursome.

While each went on to admit to being involved in violent disorder, all denied having deliberately stabbed anyone – with a trial being set for 26 February 2024 as a result.

Barnes maintained this lie until the week before the trial, when detectives made him aware of the case they’d built against him.

This included CCTV evidence and expert statements suggesting significant force would’ve been needed to cause the injuries seen with a Stanley knife.

At that point, Barnes admitted he’d been carrying the knife with him that day in case he needed to protect himself, which showed his intent to potentially use it.

Following this, he went on to plead guilty to wounding with intent and causing grievous bodily harm, along with possessing a knife in a public place, and violent disorder.

Burton, 41, Pearson, 40, and Reid, 36, all pleaded guilty to violent disorder.

All four appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday (28 May). 

Describing Barnes as a “dangerous offender”, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC sentenced him to 12 years and nine months in prison. 

Barnes, of Laneside, Coventry, will spend at least two thirds of his sentence in custody and will then have to serve an additional five years on extended licence when he’s released.  

Burton, of Duchess Gardens, Bulwell, and Pearson, of Hucknall Road, Carrington, were both jailed for two years and three months.

Reid, of Eden Street, Coventry, was also handed a prison sentence of one year and eight months for her actions.

Detective Constable Charlotte Webster, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “The level of violence demonstrated in this incident was absolutely disgraceful and left a young man in hospital with serious injuries.  

“After the group he was with harassed an 18-year-old woman, all it took was a disapproving glance in his direction by the people she was with for Barnes to completely lose control.

“Armed with a Stanley knife, he then charged over to the car they were in and proceeded to stab one of the passengers multiple times, while also leaving the driver with a slash wound.

“Although this assault all took place over the space of just a few seconds, Burton, Pearson and Reid also took it upon themselves to get involved in the violent disorder, before fleeing from the scene with Barnes.

“Thanks to some excellent police work, our officers responding to this incident were able to track down and arrest all four of the attackers within an hour of it taking place.  

“Barnes’ decision to carry a knife with him that day showed clear intent that he was prepared to use it, so we were pleased to see him finally own up to his actions in the days leading up to trial.

“Thankfully for everyone involved, nobody lost their life because of Barnes’ actions, but it’s clear that this could’ve quite easily resulted in devastating consequences.

“Carrying a knife – and certainly using a knife – are both incredibly serious offences that deserve to be met with severe punishment.

“We hope the rapid police response to this incident and the persistence of detectives in ensuring the truth came out shows just how seriously we take knife crime at Nottinghamshire Police.”