CHILD STABBING HORROR: Man Jailed for 30 Years After Attempted Murder of Girl, 9

A 29-year-old man from Christchurch has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after attempting to murder a nine-year-old girl in a knife attack described by prosecutors as “every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Jordan Wilkes launched the unprovoked assault on August 20, 2024, targeting two young girls playing in the stairwell of his apartment block. One of the children was stabbed in the jaw, shoulder, and knee before managing to flee. Wilkes calmly returned to his flat and hid the knife in a drawer.

The court heard that Wilkes had a “disturbing online history,” including obsessive searches about child murders, knife attacks, and mass killings in the days leading up to the assault. On the morning of the incident, he had watched a video about a teenage boy who fatally stabbed a young girl.

The victim’s mother delivered an emotional statement, describing her daughter as once “carefree and full of life,” but now traumatised, distrustful, and permanently scarred. Her friend, also a witness to the attack, is now reportedly terrified Wilkes could return to harm her family.

Wilkes had a history of violence, including a 2016 attack on an eight-year-old boy and a 2022 incident where he screamed at children with special needs. He was also suspected of arson in 2020.

Described by the judge as a “highly dangerous individual with an inability to control his temper,” Wilkes was handed a 30-year sentence with an additional five years on extended licence.

Detective Chief Inspector Aimee Schock praised the courage of the young victims, whose evidence helped secure the conviction.

“This was a horrifying and deliberate attack. Without the bravery of those girls and the swift response from emergency services, the outcome could have been far worse,” she said.