Young man stabbed in Harborough came within a terrifying whisker of being much more seriously injured, reveal family

A 21-year-old man stabbed in Market Harborough on Saturday night came within a terrifying whisker of being much more seriously injured, his mum has revealed.

Keiran Silcott was flown to hospital by air ambulance after he was stabbed at least twice in the chest and right leg in a vicious attack which has shocked the town.

He received emergency treatment at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire for his wounds before being allowed to go home in the early hours yesterday (Sunday).

Today Keiran’s mum Claire Silcott told the Harborough Mail: “My over-riding emotion that Keiran is OK and that he’s now recovering is huge relief.

“It could have been so much worse for him – he’s been very lucky.”

Talking about the frightening stab wound to his chest, the mother-of-four said: “Keiran was stabbed in the sternum bone in the centre of his chest.

“If he had been hit a couple of centimetres either way it could have been a very different story.

“And we would now be having a very different conversation.”

Claire, from Lubenham, said the family is now trying to understand and come to terms with the brutal assault police believe happened in Britannia Walk, Market Harborough, at about 9.20pm.

“We are all OK and we are just trying to process what happened to Keiran.

“We were shattered yesterday after the terrible events of Saturday night,” said the special safeguarding nurse.

“Keiran is still asleep in bed at the moment.

“He’s OK and he’s recovering but he’s very sore.

“I went straight to hospital in Coventry to see him late on Saturday night.

“I cannot thank all the medics and other staff who looked after Keiran enough,” said Claire, a street pastor volunteer for six years.

“They have done a fantastic job and we are very grateful to them all.”

She was actually out on patrol in Welland Park in Market Harborough with three fellow street pastors when she got a panic-stricken call from Keiran at about 9.20pm telling her he had been stabbed.

Stunned Claire ran to where her son was lying badly injured just yards from the Sainsbury’s superstore on St Mary’s Place.

And her coolness and composure under immense pressure as Keiran was treated on the spot by five paramedics has won her praise from her street pastor colleagues.

“I think that both my job in safeguarding and the experience and skills I’ve built up as a street pastor helped me to cope with the situation,” said Claire.

“Nobody expects to get a call from their shocked son on a normal Saturday night as he’s out with his mates that he’s been stabbed.

“But I also want to thank my street pastor colleagues with me at the time as well.

“They supported me all night long, took me to hospital to see Keiran and were absolutely brilliant.”

Asked if she could tell us any more about how and why Keiran was stabbed, Claire replied: “No, not really.

“Keiran still has to give a full statement to the police so we cannot say any more about that for now.

“But we appreciate all the good wishes and messages that we have had and we can reassure people that Kieran is doing all right and is on the road to recovery.”

Saluting Claire’s fortitude and courage amid the stabbing drama, her fellow street pastor Steve Brown, 59, said: “Claire was unbelievable.

“She was amazing and handled the whole thing so impressively.

“I’m sure I wouldn’t have done so well if it had been one of my children who had been attacked.

“It was a truly traumatic night for her and for the rest of us,” said Steve, of Kibworth Beauchamp.

“But she did her best to comfort and support Keiran at the scene as well as reassuring so many members of her family who were calling her all the time.

“She was a real credit to her family and she did the street pastors proud too.”

The dad-of-three said he got to the dramatic scene outside Sainsbury’s shortly after Claire.

“Keiran was lying there on the ground surrounded by paramedics.

“One of the medics asked me to hold his leg as he took his jeans off as he treated the wound to his right leg,” said Steve.

“Keiran was conscious and he was talking to the medics before he became a bit quieter and they grew more worried about him.”

The experienced street pastor said that along with colleagues Gail and Mandy he also helped to support several teenagers left distraught by the extraordinary drama.

“That’s what we do as street pastors. We are not the police, we don’t judge,” said Steve.

“We go out there into Market Harborough on Friday and Saturday nights to help young people

“We would like to hear from any men who would like to come out with us and help support their local communities.”