A 21-year-old bragged he had “poked” a teenager after brutally knifing him in the back with a ruler-length blade during an unprovoked daytime attack.

Josh Bruton left his helpless victim on the ground and fearing for his life in Palace Street - a busy shopping area in Canterbury city centre - on June 20.

The 17-year-old victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was flown to King’s College hospital in London with two stab wounds to his lower back.

The altercation started when ill-tempered Bruton mistakenly accused the teenager of wanting to “rob his watch”.

It all played out in front of shoppers at 2.30pm, with the victim ending up inside the entrance of The Running Outlet store, which is about 50 metres from the junction with Sun Street.

After fleeing the scene, Bruton repeatedly called a friend to brag about having “poked” his victim and told her to read a KentOnline article reporting on the stabbing.

Some time later, Bruton - a cannabis and cocaine user - was arrested near the Lidl supermarket off Sturry Road.

Pleading guilty to two charges of causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a blade in a public place, he appeared via video link from HMP Elmley for sentencing at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.

The sofa-surfing 21-year-old, who was deemed by a psychiatrist to have had a “miserable” childhood, was sentenced to four and a half years in jail.

The judge, Miss Recorder Drake, said: “You approached and asked the victim if he was going to rob your watch. He replied to you saying ‘nah, not even’. You then pulled a ruler-sized knife from your waist and the victim said ‘don’t pull it out, fight me’. To which you responded ‘nah’.

“He turned towards the running shop [The Running Outlet] and then felt a puncture in his back and collapsed.”

The teenager, who felt cold from the sudden attack, was knifed again by Bruton, who then fled the scene.

"You stabbed a 17-year-old who you barely knew twice in the back..."

“The victim was able to tell those who very conscientiously came to his aid your name as his attacker,” the judge continued.

“Unsurprisingly, he was very frightened by his injuries, fearing the worst.

“What you did was extremely serious. You stabbed a 17-year-old who you barely knew twice in the back.

“It is sheer good luck that the young man, who presented no threat to you, isn’t recovering from life-changing injuries and that his family aren’t suffering from the tragic loss of his life.

“It’s pure luck that the worst he will now suffer is the scarring left from knife wounds.

“Knives are lethal weapons. I shouldn’t need to say this to you.”

Bruton, who was convicted of possessing a blade in 2016 and had previously been cautioned for affray.

The victim, who is now in good health, was released from hospital following the attack as his injuries were not serious.

John Barker, defending Bruton, said his client had an “extremely bad” time growing up and called for the judge to take his difficulties into account.

“He had the most unenviable of upbringings,” he said.

“He ended up going in 30 or 40 care homes and claimed to have suffered the most appalling time and was scarred by that.”

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