FOUR teenagers have appeared for sentencing in Taunton Crown Court for their parts in an incident three years ago in which a Wellington man was stabbed in the head.

All four youths, now aged 18, but who were 15 and 14 years old at the time of the incident, escaped custody when Judge Richard Shepherd handed down sentences on Friday, July 31.

They can now be named after the expiry of an order preventing publication of any information identifying them.

They are Stuart Trott, of Immenstadt Drive, Wellington, Oliver Ratajczak, of Darby Way, Bishops Lydeard, Piotr Rycman, of Eastwick Road, Taunton, and Montie Budge, of Fletcher Close, Taunton.

The attack happened in Roly Poly Green, near Alexandra Road, while the vicim was making his way home in the early hours of Monday, May 29, 2023.

The man was treated in Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, and allowed home later the same day.

All four youths faced three charges each, but, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) offered no evidence against any of them on charges of wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent.

The CPS also dropped a lesser count of wounding against Trott, Ratajczak, and Rycman, who each instead pleaded guilty to a charge of affray.

Budge admitted possessing a knife in a public place and wounding with intent.

Judge Shepherd sentenced Budge to a total of 14 months in prison, but suspended it for two years.

He also ordered him to attend up to 30 days of rehabilitation activities supervised by the probation service and to carry out 200 hours’ community work and pay compensation of £2,500.

Trott, Ratajczak, and Rycman were each ordered to pay £2,500 compensation and given community order sentences.

Trott and Rycman were ordered to carry out 200 hours of community work and up to 20 days of rehabilitation activity supervised by the probation service, and Ratajczak told to complete 160 hours of community work.