A man has been jailed for 12 years and six months after he stabbed another man in the chest with a knife on 3 June 2025 in Walmgate, York.

York Crown Court heard that the defendant, Robert Elkes, chased the victim on his bike before stabbing him with what has been described as a Stanley Knife shortly after 12:15pm.

The victim, a 33-year-old man, saw Elkes riding his bicycle and tried to run away from him before he was left with a one-inch wound that punctured his lung.

Dashcam footage of the attack captured by a nearby motorist helped lead a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) in York to identify Elkes on the footage, leading to his arrest.

After the defendant was arrested, officers recovered the weapon at his home and the white mountain bike which matched the dashcam footage from the incident.

The victim refused to engage with the investigation, and Elkes denied any knowledge of the incident and eventually pleaded guilty when confronted with the police evidence.

The court head that he would be jailed for seven years and six months for wounding with intent and possession of a knife, plus five years of extended prison license.

The remaining time in the sentence relates to an unrelated offence of robbery and fraud.

Following sentencing, Detective Constable Alex Dorlin of North Yorkshire Police, who led the investigation, said:

“This was a violent attack that left the victim with a collapsed lung. Though Elkes denied involvement at first, overwhelming evidence forced a guilty plea, despite the victim’s reluctance to engage with the investigation.

“Credit goes to the response officers at the scene who acted swiftly to secure CCTV footage and other crucial evidence. Thanks to the excellent local knowledge of one of our Police Community Support Officers, the suspect was quickly identified from the CCTV and promptly arrested.

“Further analysis of the footage uncovered additional dashcam recordings from nearby vehicles, which clearly captured the stabbing and contributed to the early guilty plea.

“This conviction sends a clear message that we’re committed to tackling knife crime and keeping communities safe. Even without victim cooperation, we pursue justice relentlessly.”