I was stabbed twice - sentences for knife attackers need to be tougher

A former doorman who has been stabbed twice says he wants to see tougher sentences for knife crime offenders to make the country safer.

Carl Wayne - formerly Moore - suffered a near-fatal stabbing in 2009 while working in Derby. His attacker was jailed for nearly four years.

Then, last year, a neighbour slashed his hand and was given a nine-month prison sentence.

"These sentences that they give out, it's pathetic and that's what's ruined the country now. That's why the country's lawless," he said.

The Ministry of Justice said the government was determined to halve knife crime within a decade and had already removed more than 63,000 knives from the streets, as well as reducing knife-related homicides to their lowest level in a decade.

Warning: This article contains a distressing image

Wayne told the BBC he had worked on the doors of pubs and clubs in Derby from a young age, having grown "sick" of seeing people being attacked on nights out.

"It was unnecessary violence and it really upset me. I felt I could make a difference by doing what I do and stopping the bullies," he said.

On 9 December 2009, Wayne said he was managing the queue outside Walkabout when a man came from behind and plunged a hunting knife into his side, after being refused entry to the venue because of his threatening behaviour.

"It went dead warm and as I looked down, blood was spurting out everywhere, and as I went to get him, I just felt powerless," he said.

"All these people just took their tops off and stopped the bleeding which saved my life."

Wayne said he was rushed to hospital with a three-inch cut reaching his bowel which required a laparoscopy, invasive surgery to treat his organs.

"I was in a coma fighting for my life," said Wayne, whose ex-partner was pregnant at the time.

"[My daughter] could have grown up not knowing who her dad was and that really hurt me."

Wayne received a Derbyshire Police award, which commended him for "remaining calm and acting without prejudice towards the offender".

His attacker, Lee O'Connor, was sentenced to an indeterminate sentence of imprisonment with a minimum term of three years and 226 days in prison for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and affray.

On 5 October 2025, Wayne heard his neighbour arguing and banging on a door on their social housing estate in Chaddesden, managed by Derby Homes.

Wayne came outside to find the neighbour brandishing a "very large" knife which CCTV shows he swung at Wayne.

Wayne said "adrenaline kicked in" and he used a garden chair to apprehend the man.

"I grabbed the knife with my left hand which was going for my heart. Luckily then, I got him in a lock, and I sat down on him," he said.

Following the attack, Derbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Nicolle Ndiweni-Roberts, wrote to Wayne thanking him for his "continued commitment to making Derby and Derbyshire safer places to live and work".

Kenneth Charles was sentenced to nine months in prison for the attack, but Wayne said his attacker returned home to the street where they lived on in March, with a restraining order in place.

"I was in a right state, because I was so angry. I felt I'd been let down again," he said.

Wayne moved away from the area because he "couldn't relax" living so close to his attacker and said he felt "like a prisoner in my own home".

Derby Homes said it could not comment on individual cases but added the safety of their tenants was an "utmost priority".

"Where serious incidents occur, we work with the police and other partners and consider appropriate action in line with our policies, legal obligations and the available evidence," a spokesperson said.

"We recognise the impact that serious crime can have on victims and would encourage any resident with concerns about their safety or housing circumstances to contact us so we can discuss the support available."

By Jeremy Ball, East Midlands social affairs correspondent

Wayne's experience reflects growing concerns about knife crime, and latest official figures from the Office for National Statistics paint a mixed picture about its impact.

Derbyshire Police recorded a 9% increase in serious knife offences in the year to June 2026. That bucked a national trend, which saw knife crime stats fall by 6% across England and Wales.

The force recorded 755 serious knife offences in the last year. About half of those were stabbings or slashings. Most of the others were knifepoint robberies or threats to kill. There were also 18 sex attacks involving knives, and four people were stabbed to death.

Knife crime rates in Derbyshire are still well below the national figure - you're less likely to be a victim here. And they are still 13% down on Derbyshire's peak, in the year to March 2022.

So why do so many people feel that knife crime is getting worse?

One explanation is social media - we are more likely to hear about serious knife crime incidents these days, and some of those incidents involve more lethal blades such as machetes or Zombie-knives.

And the official figures only count incidents where the police were involved, and where someone was threatened or attacked.

But the national downward trend is mirrored by separate NHS data on stabbings. That shows fewer hospital patients being treated for knife injuries for a second year running.

Wayne moved into community work with the campaign group Derby Against Knife Crime, but has recently been less involved because he said he had not seen enough purposeful change being made by local and national government.

"Year-on-year it's got worse, but they wouldn't acknowledge it and it annoyed me," he said.

"I'm let down by a city that I was really passionate about, making a difference on knife crime, to be just out in the wilderness and no-one gives a damn."

Councillor Sarah Chambers, cabinet member for communities, equalities and public safety at Derby City Council, said: "We are committed to ensuring residents feel safe and confident in Derby."

She said the council worked with partners to support a range of enforcement, prevention and early intervention measures.

These include targeted activity in hotspot areas, education and engagement programmes, and practical measures such as knife surrender bins and enhanced CCTV.

"We also help fund projects that aim to prevent young people from becoming involved in violence, crime and exploitation," she added.

Derbyshire Police said knife crime remained a "year-round priority" and a £400,000 Home Office grant will pay for targeted, high-visibility patrols and data-driven technologies to find the most high-risk locations and peak times.

The force said there would be more investment in community-based partnership intervention measures.

Wayne also called out the national justice system, saying successive governments had let the country down with light sentences for knife crimes.

"We're surrounded by people carrying knives or weapons and they're just laughing at us," he said.

"We're the victims and we've got to try to get on with our lives and it's difficult."

A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Judges have the power to send offenders to prison when deemed necessary, and community sentences can also include tough requirements like curfews, tagging and exclusion zones - offenders who breach them can be jailed."

Listen to BBC Radio Derby on Sounds and follow BBC Derby on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.