A man who stabbed a 16-year-old girl after she refused to give him her number has been locked up.

On October 20 of last year, Desmond Brooks approached the victim, who was with a male friend, outside Harrow on the Hill underground station and asked for her phone number and Snapchat username.

The pair told Brooks to leave them alone before he became abusive, saying he would “shank” and “chef” – slang for stab – them up.

The 19-year-old pursed them into the station making racist remarks to the man, who turned around and confronted him before Brooks punched him in the face.

A struggle broke out between Brooks and the girl ending only when he stabbed her in the thigh and ran out of the station.

She was taken to a local hospital where she received six stiches in her leg.

“This was a vicious and senseless act of violence and it’s fortunate that Brooks’ 16-year-old victim wasn’t more seriously injured,” said Detective Constable David Graney.

“I’m happy to see he will spend the foreseeable future behind bars – he’s shown himself to be a violent and dangerous individual.”

Brooks, 19, of no fixed address, appeared at Inner London Crown Court on Tuesday, May 11 where he pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of racially aggravated common assault.

On Friday, July 2, a judge sentenced him to five years and two months’ imprisonment – 56 months for grievous bodily harm with intent and six months for racially aggravated common assault.