Bateau Bay Square: Jacob Faleta, 20, pleads guilty to bus stop stabbing outside busy shopping centre

Three teens “broke down crying” in a getaway car after a 20-year-old man was stabbed in a brazen unprovoked attack at a bus stop outside a busy shopping centre, a court has heard.

Jacob Faleta, 20, of Wyongah, has pleaded guilty to reckless wounding in company over a stabbing at bateau Bay Square shopping centre. Picture 16x9: supplied

A man has pleaded guilty to reckless wounding in company after he and two young people stabbed another man in an unprovoked attack, a court has heard.

Jacob Faleta, 20, of Wyongah, faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where his lawyer entered the plea on his behalf and two other charges, affray and wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm were withdrawn and dismissed.

An agreed set of facts states Faleta, then aged 19, was with two boys, both 15, when they attended Bateau Bay Square shortly before 3pm on Monday, April 22, last year.

One of the younger boys, who had only just met each other that morning, had earlier purchased a Wiltshire brand steak knife.

The trio approached a man, 20, at a bus stop who immediately felt like they were going to attack him so he tried to run away when one of the youths pushed him.

Jacob Faleta, 20, of Wyongah, has pleaded guilty to reckless wounding in company over a stabbing at bateau Bay Square shopping centre. Picture: supplied

The facts state the victim dropped his jumper and when he bent down to pick it up Faleta kicked him in the face.

One of the boys then stabbed the victim in the back as he tried to escape and Faleta lashed out with a swinging foot to try and kick him again but missed and bystanders started to intervene.

Faleta and the two boys, aged 15, ran off into bushland adjacent to Bateau Bay Square shopping centre. Picture: NewsLocal

Faleta and the two boys took off down a service road towards some bushland and called another male who they begged for a lift.

“While in the car, they broke down crying and, at one point they prayed the victim would not die,” the facts state.

Paramedics arrived and took the victim to John Hunter Hospital where his stab wound was cleaned and stitched.

At 4.17pm the 15-year-old boy who did not stab the victim attended Toukley Police Station with his father and told police he had no idea the other boy had a knife on him.

He was charged and later participated in a walk-through with police where he tried to recall where the other boy discarded the knife in the bushes.

Faleta was arrested a week later.

On Tuesday his solicitor sought an adjournment for Faleta to undergo a sentence assessment report and he was adjourned to June 3.

The two 15-year-olds were dealt with under the Young offenders Act.