On 27 February 2026, four teenagers were sentenced to a combined total of over 35 years in custody for a violent machete attack on a 17-year-old boy in Hemlington, Middlesbrough. The group used electric scooters and e-bikes to hunt the victim through the streets of North Yorkshire before leaving him with life-changing injuries.
According to Cleveland Police, the attack took place on 30 April 2025 after a disagreement at a nearby house. The victim tried to escape by jumping from a balcony at Elmhurst Gardens and running through the Viewley Centre car park, but he was cornered on Hemlington Hall Lane. He was struck at least 13 times with machetes while on the ground, resulting in a fractured skull and severe arm injuries that required surgery.
At Teesside Crown Court, 18-year-old Tyler Bradley was sentenced to 14 years in jail and 19-year-old Wayne Boyd was sentenced to 13 years after both were convicted of attempted murder. Judge Francis Laird described the incident as a horrific and brutal attack, noting that the victim was lucky to have survived. Bradley already had a history of 17 previous convictions for 47 different offences before this case.
Two other teenagers, 18-year-olds Leon Keenan and Kaya Azhar, were sentenced to four years and four months and four years respectively for wounding the victim with intent. A fifth person, 19-year-old Ebony Watt, was given a two-year community order for helping the group. Information confirmed she had messaged the attackers to tell them where the victim was and later helped hide a zombie knife used in the pursuit.
The sentences follow an investigation by the local homicide and major enquiry team to remove violent offenders from the community. Local residents have previously raised concerns about safety near the Viewley Centre, and officials hope these jail terms provide some reassurance to the neighbourhood.
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