An Irvine teenager wept as she was led to jail for stabbing a man in the stomach.

The 17-year-old, who can’t be named for legal reasons, burst into tears and looked to her family in the public gallery who were also crying as she was led to the cells in handcuffs after being jailed for six months over the vicious assault.

At a previous hearing the court heard that the victim and the accused had been friends since childhood.

On August 2, the two of them and a male friend were messaging each other on Facebook when the conversation descended into an argument.

Later on, a witness received a Facebook video call from the girl and the male friend in which the teen was seen in the video in possession of a silver bladed flick knife.

She said she wanted to find the complainer and fight him.

The following day, on August 3 at around 7am she met her victim at Redburn Community Centre in Dickson Drive and shouted: “Come at me” before running towards him, with her friend behind her.

The teen then approached the man, presented a silver bladed knife at him and grabbed him by the collar demanding: “Say sorry or I’ll stab you”, before finally stabbing him in the the lower abdomen.

The court heard she tried to stab him again, but the man used his hands to defend himself.

He subsequently sustained lacerations to both his hand.

Following the stabbing the man made an attempt to run away but the accused followed him before grabbing him by the clothing and kicking him.

He pushed her away, and in the tussle both of them fell to the ground where she continued her violent assault, kicking him in the face and body. 

The court heard that the assault went on for several minutes and ended with the teenage girl and her friend walking away.

A member of the public phoned the police and ambulance.

The injured man was taken by ambulance to Crosshouse Hospital where he was found to have a puncture wound to the left side of his abdomen, superficial scratches to the back of both hands, slight grazing to his face and a mark on his right forearm.

He was treated in A&E, then transferred to the surgery ward but did not need further treatment as the abdominal wound had sealed itself. However he was kept in overnight for observation.

Representing the teenager, Colin McLaughlin said she had a history of personal problems.

He told the court: “She has significant physical and mental health problems which her family are concerned about, however we are full aware that the actions she took that day have very serious consequences for her.”

However Sheriff Michael Hanlon said the vicious assault could only be dealt with by way of a jail term.

He said: “I have taken into account your background, your young age and your plea of guilty, however, under the circumstances I don’t see any alternative to a custodial sentence given the serious nature of this offence.”

Sheriff Hanlon sentenced her to six months in a detention centre.