Central Coast stabbing: Bailey Alcock’s family hit out as massive youth assault stats revealed

The father of a teen who was the victim of a daylight stabbing on the Central Coast says, “It’s not looking good”.

The distressed father of a teenage boy who is in a medically induced coma after being stabbed by a knifeman broke down as he told family, “It’s not looking good.”

Stephen Alcock has been holding a vigil at son’s bedside at the Royal North Shore Hospital as he prepares to undergo life saving surgery today after he was stabbed in the right leg in a daylight “random attack” on Monday.

“Stephen called to say it’s not looking good, he’s told us and his family his son needs two major surgeries before they know if he’ll pull through and he’s still in an induced coma,” a colleague from Trade And General Touring towing company in Newcastle said.

Kincumber stabbing victim Bailey Alcock/Harmer. Picture: Facebook

“We’re praying the kid makes it. He’s had one operation already and goes in for a second today. To attack an innocent child out of the blue like that is just mindless.”

Bailey Alcock, 16, is fighting for his life after he was stabbed while walking in a residential street with a friend in Kincumber on the Central Coast on Monday afternoon.

Police have been interviewing family and residents where the attack happened, near a caravan park off Benelong Place, in an attempt to piece together exactly what happened.

Bailey was heard screaming as he collapsed in the street after the attacker stabbed him in the right thigh and fled.

He called his mother, Karen Harmer, a nurse, to come to his aid as an onlooker, off duty fireman Peter Kersenboom, fought to stem the flow of pulsing blood from his upper thigh using pressure from his hands and a sterilised gauze.

Bailey Alcock, 16, was stabbed in his street, Benelong Place, Kincumber, on Monday 26th April, at 1pm. Picture: Facebook

Drifting in and out of consciousness on the ground, Bailey Alcock, 16, begged the onlooker, “Am I going to die?

“He was terrified, he was in complete shock, I heard a yell outside my house and saw the young bloke keel over, he was screaming, ‘help I’ve been stabbed,’” said on call firefighter Mr Kersenboom.

“He was very disorientated, he’s only 16, his friend said someone had stabbed him and ran off.

“I put pressure on the wound using my hand and a sterilised gauze to stop the flow of blood, there was so much blood.

“He was scared and asked if he could call his mum. He asked me, ‘Am I going to die?’ I told him not to worry, he was going to be all right, I kept him talking and present with me until the ambulance crews arrived.”

Generic shot of a police officer at a crime scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nicholas Eagar

Bailey’s mother Karen Harmer is with her son in hospital today where he is in a critical but stable condition.

“She didn’t believe her son had been stabbed when he called her on the mobile, she thought it was a joke,” said Mr Kersenboom.

“She came quickly, she was worried, you could see the concern of her face, she wanted to know who had done this to her son.”

Yesterday in a Facebook post Ms Harmer posted a photo of her son in a coma asking, “This is my son Bailey, he was stabbed at Kincumber. If you know anything please help us find the person who did this to him,” she wrote.

Bailey’s girlfriend’s mother Melissa Stevens told the Daily Telegraph the family were beside themselves.

Kincumber stabbing victim Bailey Alcock/Harmer. Picture: Facebook

“Bailey is in stable condition but is going in for his second operation today. Everyone is so worried, he has been in an induced coma for two days.”

Yesterday she told NewsLocal the incident was a “dog act”.

“What happened to him today is just horrific,” Ms Stevens said. “No one should ever pull a knife on someone, it’s absolutely disgusting behaviour.

“He could have lost his life today, I hope the offender is found — and they know who did this — and he is jailed.”

The woman told her daughter to “stay strong”.

Three ambulance crews and a CareFlight rescue helicopter were called to Benelong Place following reports a teenage male had been stabbed in the leg.

He was taken by ambulance to the CareFlight helicopter at Hylton Moore Oval at East Gosford where a specialist medical crew treated him before transporting him to hospital.

A crime scene was established and a NSW police spokeswoman said no arrests have been made and the stabbing “appears to be random”.

The stabbing comes as new statistics reveal almost a child a day is the victim of a violent assault on the Central Coast.

Generic photo of police tape. PICTURE: MATT TAYLOR.

NSW Police have witnessed a 78 per cent increase in the number of young people suffering from non-domestic assaults in the last six years.

In 2020, a total of 338 incidents of youth assaults were recorded by NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research findings, with a shocking 25 per cent (89 incidents) occurring in the home and 22 per cent (74 incidents) at schools.

A further 19 per cent (67 incidents) of assaults on young people happened in residential streets — much like the attack on this week’s teenage stabbing victim.

When it comes to juvenile offenders of assault, the number of Central Coast kids charged has increased from 88 in 2016 to 143 last year.

Juvenile offenders of non-domestic assault struck in residential properties in 27 per cent of all cases, while 17 per cent of cases occurred in residential streets.

BOCSAR statistics revealed the Central Coast Local Government Area was ranked 47 out of the 120 for recorded rates of assault.

Detectives from Brisbane Water Police District are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident and would like to speak with anyone who can assist.

Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000