A doctor’s son stabbed a teenager in the back outside a Kingston leisure centre with a knife he had hidden behind a town centre bin weeks before.

The Tolworth teenager, 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to four years and six months in prison at Kingston Crown Court today for the 4pm stabbing of 19-year-old Jordan Beard outside the Kingfisher leisure centre on April 10.

April 10: Stabbing outside Kingfisher swimming pool

April 13: Teenager charged after man stabbed outside Kingston swimming pool

Nov 24: Tolworth teenager admits stabbing another teen outside Kingston Kingfisher leisure centre swimming pool

Defence lawyer Rebecca Lee said the defendant, who has a string of previous convictions including robbery and possession of an offensive weapon, had been badly affected by his separation from his mother who works as a doctor.

She argued that his sentence should be more lenient because of his family difficulties and the fact that he pleaded guilty to the charge of grievous bodily harm with intent before the case went to trial.

She said: “The separation from his mother is an ongoing factor. He was seen by local mental health services in 2001 and received a diagnosis of autism and that no doubt affected his behaviour and how he deals with people.”

The court heard how the two teenagers had been friends but fell out weeks before the fight and agreed to meet outside the Fairfield Road leisure centre to fight.

Victim Mr Beard had “thrown a punch” first before the defendant pulled a knife from his waistband and stabbed Mr Beard in the side and then the back near his shoulder.

Judge Susan Tapping said that just because the defendant admitted throwing the knife away and stabbing Mr Beard it did not deject from the “seriousness of the offence”.

She said: “[He hid the knife] so that if he was ever in trouble in Kingston he had a knife.

“He went to the meeting armed with a knife he had retrieved from its hiding place. His last conviction was because he was carrying a blade in public.

“What he had planned after that was to hide a knife in Kingston so he didn’t have to carry one all the time.”

Judge Tapping warned that the defendant would have to serve a further two years on licence after his release from prison and, had the defendant been an adult, the starting sentence would have been 10 years.

She said: “It was clear you anticipated trouble. [The victim] admits punching you because he claims you have a reputation for carrying a knife and he feared for his safety.

“[Reports have suggested] there is a significant risk to members of the public of serious harm from you.”