Jerome Amankwah is already serving a sentence for violent disorder during last summer's riots.

A group of five young gang members were jailed today for a vicious attack in which a 15-year-old schoolboy was stabbed three times whilst having his hair cut in a Wood Green barber’s shop.

The knife found on Jordan Townsend had the victim's blood on it.

Jerome Amankwah, 20, Jordan Townsend, 18, and three 17-year-old boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were convicted of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm following a trial at the Old Bailey on July 27.

The group were arrested shortly after attacking the schoolboy as he sat in the barber’s chair in Kenny’s hair salon, in Lordship Lane near the junction with Acacia Road, on January 31.

Earlier today, Amankwah, of Rochford block in the Broadwater Farm Estate, Tottenham, was sentenced at the Old Bailey to six years in a young offenders’ institute for the stabbing.

Townsend, of The Avenue, Tottenham, was given seven years in a young offenders’ institute.

Kenny's hair salon in Lordship Lane, Wood Green, where the stabbing took place.

One of the 17-year-olds was handed a six-and-a-half year jail term in a young offenders’ institute, while the other two were given six years and four-and-a-half years respectively.

The court heard that the victim was sat in the barber’s chair in Kenny’s salon when a large group of young men from a north London gang walked past the shop window.

Some of the group forced their way into the shop as the manager held the door closed to stop the others coming in.

As the group outside shouted abuse and attempted to force entry, the gang members inside the shop attacked the boy in the barber’s chair leaving him with three stab wounds to the back before fleeing outside with the rest of the gang.

A nearby member of the public flagged down a passing unmarked police vehicle of officers who gave chase to a group of six males who split up and were eventually apprehended by the officers.

On stopping and searching the males officers found an array of weapons.

Amankwah was found in possession of a butterfly knife and CS spray, Townsend was found in possession of a lock knife and a 17 year-old male was found in possession of a knife.

Officers also found a large kitchen knife discarded nearby.

The knife found on Townsend was subsequently confirmed through forensic analysis to have the victim’s blood on it and to have been used to inflict the stab injuries. Townsend’s clothing was also found to have the victim’s blood on it.

An air ambulance took the 15-year-old to an east London hospital where he was stabilised.

Haringey Borough Commander Sandra Looby said: “This prosecution illustrates the importance of the police and the public working together to tackle crime and it is only due to this that we have secured these convictions.”

Today, another 17-year-old, acquitted of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm at the earlier trial, was handed an 18-month youth rehabilitation order after previously pleading guilty to possession of an offensive weapon, namely a knife.

He was also given a curfew having spent 204 days in custody up to this point.

Amankwah, who is already serving a 21-month sentence in a young offenders’ institute after admitting violent disorder during last summer’s riots, was also sentenced today to six months in a young offenders’ institute for possession of a firearm, namely the CS gas, to run concurrently with his other sentence.

He was handed a further six-month sentence for possession of an offensive weapon, namely a knife, to run concurrently.

Townsend’s seven-year sentence for wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm also incorporated his conviction for possession of an offensive weapon, namely a lock knife.

Amankwah and one of the 17-year-olds were also both sentenced to 28 days in a young offenders’ institute for possession of a class B drug, namely cannabis, to run concurrently with their other sentences.