A YORK teenager who nearly died after being stabbed by a 13-year-old girl spoke of his "disgust" after she was given only two years' detention.

Davey Burns, 19, was taken to hospital with a nine-inch blade sticking out of his stomach after he was violently attacked by the youngster.

Angry Davey hit out at the short prison term - saying he did nothing to provoke the girl into lunging at him with the kitchen knife.

He said: "I don't know why she attacked me. She must be mad. I never hit her or grabbed her round the throat like she said I did.

"She just came from nowhere and I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I thought she'd punched me because I stumbled backwards.

"I was in shock and I was fitting, so I didn't know what was going on. The next thing I knew I was in hospital with a knife in my stomach and being rushed into surgery.

"It is disgusting to think she will be out in a year after what she did. The judge seemed to take her side as if she'd done nothing wrong and I'd attacked her. He treated her as the victim instead of the criminal!"

Davey, a petrol station worker who plays for Acorn Rugby Club, was off work for four months after the attack near his home in Stuart Road, Acomb, on April 15.

He bears an eight-inch scar on his stomach where surgeons had to operate to remove the knife and repair a perforated bowel.

Describing the stabbing, he said: "I was with a friend after a rugby match when she came over and spat on my pizza. She told her mother I had called her a slag, which wasn't true. I was trying to get away, but the girl and her mother both started hitting me so I couldn't. They ripped all my jeans and were kicking me in the legs.

"In frustration I punched a car window - but it didn't break.

"The next thing I know my name was being shouted and then I felt the blow to the stomach.

"There were about ten witnesses and none of them said I did anything to her.

"Doctors told me that if I was slimmer I would have died because the knife went in so far, it nearly came out my back."

Dad Terry, 42, said: "I heard all shouting and looked out just as Davey was falling backwards.

"I rushed out and Davey was on the ground with people all round him. I didn't realise the knife was still in him until the ambulance people arrived. I was terrified that he would die. It is lucky that he's still alive - but she's also lucky for getting such a short sentence.

"In her police interviews she just made no comment - she never said sorry or showed any remorse. She only cried because she was going to prison.

"There were no marks on the girl, so I don't know how she can say he grabbed her round the throat. I don't understand why the judge has been so lenient."

Terry said there had been problems since the attack and someone had set fire to a wheeled bin outside his house.

The girl, now 14, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is starting a two-year sentence at a young offenders' institute after pleading guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm at Leeds Crown Court.

Davey said his mum, Michelle Handley, 39, and two younger brothers and sister were devastated by the attack.

The 19-year-old, who is applying for compensation to the Criminal Injuries Board, said: "I wasn't able to do anything after the attack. I missed an important rugby match and couldn't take my driving test. Now I need more lessons. I've started back at work on light duties because I couldn't afford to live on sick pay any longer. I'm a bit wary of going out after what happened and I have to be careful playing rugby. I'm glad that she's locked away for now - but it's disgusting that she didn't get a longer sentence."

Updated: 10:42 Friday, August 26, 2005