A KNIFE which was used to stab a man was returned to the Oxford kebab van from which it had been stolen, a court heard this week, as the assailant was jailed for more than four years.

Anton Mullings had grabbed the 30cm kitchen knife, used for chopping vegetables, from the Posh Nosh Express kebab van before chasing after his victim, Callum McDonagh and stabbing him in the leg.

The court heard that Mr McDonagh had started the violence by punching Mullings’s friend in the face, sending him to the ground.

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Sitting at Oxford Crown Court on Tuesday, Judge Nigel Daly heard that Mullings had no previous convictions before the attack on Queen Street.

Judge Daly told Mullings: "You let yourself down badly. You were somebody of good character, you were somebody who had never committed even a minor criminal offence, yet you go out on this night and you commit an extremely serious criminal offence.

Oxford Mail:

"This was a night-time attack in the centre of Oxford using a knife.

"The location and time of the offence meant there were a large number of people looking on.

"We cannot have people stabbing people in the street in Oxford at night when there are a lot of people there, turning out from clubs, standing around. It just cannot be ignored I’m afraid.”

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Mullings, of Bluebell Court, Greater Leys, had been convicted by a jury of one count of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, for which Judge Daly jailed him for four-and-a-half years.

After a question from the prosecution about whether they would seek forfeiture and destruction of the weapon, Judge Daly added: “I haven’t been asked for the forfeiture of the knife.

"I think in fact it went back to the kebab van.”

* this article has been amended