Three teenagers have been arrested over the death of a 27-year-old woman who was stabbed in Newcastle.
Jodie Wilkinson died in hospital after being attacked on Stanhope Street, Arthur’s Hill, on Monday. A 25-year-old man who was also stabbed in the attack was treated in hospital and later discharged.
On Thursday, police said they had arrested two boys, aged 14 and 15, and a 15-year-old girl in connection with the death. A total of nine people have now been arrested as part of the investigation. Police believe a gang of up to 11 people were involved in the attack.
On Wednesday, a 43-year-old man was arrested. Three men – one aged 22 and two aged 25 – were held on Monday at a house near the scene, and on Tuesday two more men, aged 18 and 20, were arrested. Five people remain in custody while the 18-year-old has been released on police bail.
Ch Supt David Felton, of Northumbria police, said Wilkinson was thought to have known her assailants. He said: “Although the motive behind the attack is still being investigated, we believe it potentially could have been some kind of dispute and I want to reassure the community that we do not believe there is any risk to the general public.”
Northumbria police renewed their appeal for witnesses, saying they were keen to hear from anyone with information into the incident. The independent charity Crimestoppers has offered a cash reward of up to £1,000 for information leading to arrests and charges.
Felton said the attack happened in a busy area not long after schools had finished. “The incident itself would have looked like a group of people fighting, like an altercation of some kind, and there would have been shouting and fighting,” he said.
Wilkinson, who is thought to have been homeless, got into trouble with the police shortly after leaving school. She had drink and drug problems in her early 20s and lived on the streets before turning her life around and becoming a well-known volunteer with local charities.
In 2010, Wilkinson was given a young achiever’s award by the Evening Chronicle newspaper in recognition of her work with young people. The same year she was also the recipient of a young person’s achievement award by Children & Young People Now magazine.
