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Trails of blood were left as Che Stephens, Luca Sanni and Imani Pobi Da Silva, who are now all aged 18, become embroiled in the dangerous and bloody knife fight. Sanni was left a life threatening injury, Luton Crown Court heard. Terrifying CCTV captured Stephens stabbing Pobi Da Silva, who was then aged 17, after the fight broke out in The Mall in Luton on Sunday, January 2l. Seconds later, Sanni confronted Stephens with a machete, which left his hand as he swung the weapon in his direction.

Stephens was caught on CCTV stabbing Sanni, before calmly fleeing the scene. Sanni, of Luton, was sentenced to five years after being found guilty of attempted grievous bodily harm and affray. He was also jailed for eight months, to be served concurrently, after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article. Pobi Da Silva, of Luton, was sentenced to 12 months after being found guilty of possession of a bladed article.

UK crime news: CCTV footage shows the moment the three teens slashed each other

Stephens, of Bedford, was sentenced to seven years and six months for wounding with intent and 18 months after pleading guilty to possession of a bladed article. Both sentences are to run concurrently. Sentencing the teenagers, judge Barbara Mensah described the violence as "a prolonged confrontation with shocking consequences in a public place" in which they had all gone out armed with knives. She said: "That horrifying spectacle was not taking place in a film in a cinema or down an alley away from public gaze. It took place in broad daylight.

UK crime latest: Shocked shoppers looked on in horror

"CCTV shows children and families going about their business. It was something they had to see." The judge said there is a suggestion that the teenagers have backgrounds which are linked with gangs and rejected the idea that the violence had been over an ex-girlfriend. The judge told the teenagers: "Who knows why you decided to meet. It might have been drugs territory or gangs - only the three of you know and you have chosen not to disclose it. "You were all culpable. "I am also satisfied that each of you knew that the others were carrying a knife." She said Sanni and Pobi Da Silva were "very lucky not to be fatality statistics" and described Stephens as having been "very obviously hyped up and dangerous". Stephens was armed with a large kitchen knife, Sanni with a machete and Pobi Da Silva with a large serrated hunting knife.

UK crime latest: Che Stephens, of Bedford, was sentenced to seven years and six months

Sanni suffered a life threatening injury and was lucky that a medically-trained passerby decided to stop and help him, according to prosecutor Martin Mulgrew. He was hit with a 2.5cm long clean cut to the lower thigh which penetrated the muscle and was bleeding from the vein. Mr Mulgrew said: "Sanni was helped in that one of the passersby was an ex-Army medic who applied a tourniquet which saved his life. He was blue-lipped and received life-saving treatment from a vascular surgeon. "A vein had been nicked. Police had expected to turn this into a murder investigation."

UK crime latest: Luca Sanni, of Luton, was sentenced to five years

Sanni and Pobi Da Silva, who suffered a deep wound to the left arm, were taken to hospital for treatment where they were arrested and later charged. Stephens was arrested in London. Mr Mulgrew said: "There was clear hostility between Stephens and particularly Sanni. "There was squaring up by Sanni, getting into Stephens' face." Mr Mulgrew said the group were in a "more discreet" passageway when the defendants "engaged in a dangerous knife fight which Stephens instigated when he produced a knife from his waistband and stabbed Pobi Da Silva in the left arm". The court heard that Stephens stabbed Pobi Da Silva.

UK crime latest: Imani Pobi Da Silva, of Luton, who has been sentenced to 12 months