Salford man jailed for knife attack that led to amputation
A Salford man has been sentenced to eight years in prison following a knife attack in Charlestown that led to the amputation of his victim's arm.
A Salford man has been sentenced to eight years in prison following a violent knife attack that ultimately resulted in the amputation of his victim's arm, according to Salford Now.
The sequence of events unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday 2 July 2024. Blane Latouche, born 15/12/1995, and of Hinchley Road, Charlestown, was driving around Manchester while taking nitrous oxide with a woman and another man, as detailed by Salford Now. At approximately 4am, Latouche instructed his friend to sit in the front passenger seat after switching places with the woman. He then drove into a carpark on Ainsbrook Avenue in Charlestown, pulled out a knife, and repeatedly stabbed his friend 11 times while the woman begged him to stop.
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The victim managed to fall from the vehicle before Latouche drove away, leaving him bleeding in the road. Members of the public rushed to administer first aid until police officers and ambulance personnel arrived at the scene. The victim was subsequently transported to hospital, where medical teams battled to save his life, though his right arm was later amputated due to the severity of his injuries. Detective Sergeant Leon Cawley-Bowyer from the Serious Crime Division noted that the victim spent a year in hospital and has only recently begun walking again, navigating both mental trauma and the life-changing physical impact of losing his limb.
While emergency colleagues worked to save the victim, Latouche attempted to destroy evidence. He drove into central Manchester, threw the victim's phone from the window, discarded the knife, parked the car away from his address, and placed his blood-stained clothes into the washing machine. Investigators ultimately utilized advanced blood pattern analysis to determine where individuals were seated inside the car, proving the driver was the attacker. They also recovered blood from the inside of Latouche's clothing seized from the washing machine.
Latouche was arrested later that day. During a trial at Manchester Crown Court in October 2025, he was found not guilty of attempted murder, having previously entered a guilty plea to wounding.
The broader region has seen multiple high-profile violent incidents placing demands on emergency care. According to The Bolton News, emergency services were called to Bickershaw Drive in Walkden at 2.15am on Saturday 6 July 2024, following reports of a 48-year-old man sustaining serious injuries from a stabbing. Chief Inspector Darren Whitehead of GMP鈥檚 Salford district confirmed that a 40-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 grievous bodily harm, though the victim's injuries were ultimately deemed neither life-threatening nor life-changing.
Separately, Manchester Evening News reported on a pub stabbing horror outside The Stocks Hotel in Walkden at about 10pm on Sunday 23 August. A woman was slashed in the face before three customer heroes intervened to protect her, sustaining injuries themselves including a severe cut to a chest. The North West Ambulance Service deployed two rapid response vehicles, an advanced paramedic, an operational commander, and the hazardous area response team to transport four victims to hospitals including Manchester Royal Infirmary and Salford Royal. A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault.
| Incident Date | Location | Arrest / Conviction Details | Outcome for Victims |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 July 2024 | Ainsbrook Avenue, Charlestown | Blane Latouche jailed for 8 years (October 2025 trial) | Victim suffered 11 stab wounds; right arm amputated |
| 6 July 2024 | Bickershaw Drive, Walkden | 40-year-old woman arrested for Section 18 assault | 48-year-old man suffered serious injuries, not life-threatening |
| 23 August 2024 | Manchester Road, Worsley (The Stocks Hotel) | 21-year-old man arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault | Four people hospitalized, including a woman slashed in the face and three intervening customers |
Authorities continue to urge vigilance and community cooperation regarding knife crime. Detective Sergeant Cawley-Bowyer emphasized that across City of Manchester North, officers are working tirelessly to address violence, pointing to a 34% increase in stop searches alongside a 32% reduction in knife-enabled serious violence offences.
