AN ARMED drug dealing teen groomed for crime was jailed after stabbing a man through the lung.

Colchester’s Alinjavwa Siwale will miss the birth of his son having admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was sent to a Young Offenders’ Institution for five years and will have to serve at least half inside.

The now 18-year-old, of Affleck Road, Colchester, travelled to Beckers Green in Braintree on April 9 last year.

Peter Gair, prosecuting at Chelmsford Crown Court today, said: “The victim was on his own.

“He saw two people, a black man and a white man.

“He was kicked to the face by the white man.

“This defendant, the black man, punched him to the nose.”

The court heard while the victim was on the ground Siwale pulled down his trousers and pants and pulled his jumper over his head while shouting for the “weed”.

It appears he got the wrong person.

The threats continued and Siwale pulled out a knife. It is claimed he tried to stab the victim in the neck but missed.

He did stab him, with a three inch black handled knife in the back, puncturing his lung and then a second stab wound to the thigh.

The victim had to be airlifted to Addenbrookes' Hospital where he remained for three days.

So scared by the attack he has left the area.

In a victim impact statement read to the court he said: “The events of that day will remain with me forever.

“As a result of this horrific experience I have suffered from nightmares and flashbacks.”

At the time of the attack Siwale was on bail having been caught in a Chelmsford drugs den in November 2015.

He later admitted possessing heroin and crack cocaine with intent to supply and possession of a prohibited weapon in the form of a noxious spray.

He received an intensive supervision and surveillance plan.

Despite breaching it twice Hannah Sutton, mitigating, said he had been doing well and had turned his life around.

She said: “He had been groomed for criminal activities by a group of adults.

“He had been the victim of serious assaults.

“His young girlfriend and siblings had been threatened.”

She claimed it was on orders he went to Braintree with another man who Siwale is too scared to identify.

She said since this happened he has got a job, got help, got away from the gang, met a girl and will be a father soon.

The family of his girlfriend, where Siwale has been staying, were in court as was his mother who flew over from Africa.

Judge David Turner QC said: “It was not a wise move to embark on having a family given the circumstances.

The crime you are to be sentenced for is one of the most serious crimes of violence you can be sentenced for.

“The use of a knife is a very significant aggravating factor in an already grave crime.

"It was six weeks before he could walk normally again, he has been left with permanent scarring, he continues to be troubled and has moved to another part of the country."

He praised a report from the youth offending team but said a suspended sentence was not possible in the circumstances.

Judge Turner also accepted some pressure may have been applied but said Siwale has failed to identify the other man or co-operate with police and it was Siwale who was the "knifeman".

He also accepted the good progress Siwale had made in his life during the past year.

He added: "It is a very sad day. I wish I was sitting somewhere else.

"Considerable violence was perpetrated. A knife was used, potentially life threatening wounds caused.

"It was a terrifying ordeal for the victim."

Judge Turner told Siwale he hopes he learns his lesson while in the young offenders' institution and comes out to be a good father.