A TEENAGER who stabbed a woman in the neck before running off with her hand-bag has been jailed.

Christopher Corkin, 19, of Ravensglass Close, Blackburn, must serve a minimum of four years before he is eligible for parole and will only be released when he can prove that he is no longer a danger to the public.

Corkin attacked a 59-year-old Lithuanian woman in Pringle Street, Blackburn around 12.30-am on July 14 last year. The woman was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where she received treatment for a severe cut to her neck.

Around 11.15pm on the same day, he threatened to stab a 23-year-old man outside his home on Sullivan Drive. The man ran off and Corkin left with his coat, which had been left outside the house.

And at 12.50pm the following day Corkin went into a news-agents on Redlam, Blackburn, and threatened the shopkeeper, a 40-year-old woman, with a knife before leaving with cash and cigarettes.

He was arrested after shortly after the incident when he ass-aulted a police officer. Corkin had earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery, attempted robbery and theft, possession of an offensive weap-on and assaulting a police officer. Detective Inspector Mark Winstanley said: “Christopher Corkin is a violent and dan-gerous man and I am pleased that he has received this cust-odial sentence which reflects the levels of violence he used to commit these offences.

“The victims have been through terrifying ordeals and have understandably been extremely frightened by what Corkin has put them through. I have no doubt that Blackburn is a safer place now that Corkin is behind bars.

“Members of the public should be reassured that random attacks such as this are rare although when they do occur, we will do everything within our power to identify those resp-onsible and bring them to justice.

“The message is clear — if you choose to carry a knife and commit robbery in Blackburn you can expect to be arrested and put before the courts.”