A former professional footballer robbed a teenager and stabbed him with a ‘Rambo’ knife, a court heard.

Causso Darame, who was signed by then Premier League side Swansea City when he was 16, left Ronnie Evans with “life-changing injuries” following the attack in May last year.

The failed assassin stabbed Mr Evans, who was 19 at the time, in the leg before taking his chain and bracelet from his neck during the robbery in Hampshire.

Darame, who once compared himself to soccer stars Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo, said he turned to a life of crime after being dumped by Swansea City.

The 25-year-old, originally from Portugal, said he felt he had “failed” his partner and newborn child and allegedly turned to dealing heroin and crack cocaine.

The father-of-one, from Cardiff, missed an artery in Mr Evans’ leg by “millimeters” when he stabbed him, a court heard.

His victim was left in “indescribable pain” after two nerves were severed in the attack.

Darame was jailed for four years and four months at Portsmouth Crown Court after admitting robbery and possession of a knife.

Serious injuries

Prosecutor Paul Fairley told the court that Mr Evans was with two friends in Ken’s Chicken Shop where he saw Darame, who was 23 at the time, at around 3am on May 12, 2023.

Mr Evans then crossed the road with friend Oliver Geen, before they were aware of Darame behind them.

Mr Fairley said: “This time he had the large knife described as a Rambo knife. I imagine some kind of hunting knife.”

The pair fled before Mr Evans heard Darame shout “I’m going to catch you and when I catch you I’m going to kill you”, the prosecutor said.

“He got to the ground where he was stabbed in the leg with a large knife and at the same time a necklace around his neck and another chain he was wearing on his wrist were ripped off by the defendant who then ran away. .

“The victim had quite serious injuries – a large degree of blood loss where it happened, (and) the cutting of two major nerves.

“Fortunately, as far as everyone involved in the case was concerned, the knife missed the major blood vessels in the leg by a few millimetres.”

In a victim impact statement, Mr Evans said he was left with paralysis in his leg from the knee down, leaving him unable to walk without a leg brace.

The injury, along with the pain caused by the nerve damage, left him unable to continue working as an apprentice electrician.

Previously, Mr Evans, now in his 20s, had played tennis at a high level from a young age, but was now unable to play the sport as before, the court heard.

The “adult” victim

Daniel Reilly, defending, told the court that Darame was on a youth contract with Swansea City before being handed a two-year professional deal at the age of 18.

However, when the contract ended he “struggled to cope” and began mixing with drug dealers, the court heard.

Mr Reilly said: “There was a sense from Darame that he had to be a provider, he felt he was failing in what he saw as part of his role in the family and that’s where he struggled to cope.

“And here came the drugs and with it the introduction of other people who were involved in activities that had never been part of Mr. Darame’s previous lifestyle.”

Judge Daniel Neill said Darame’s actions had changed the life of a man “in the prime of his youth” as he sentenced him to four years and four months for robbery and three months for possessing the knife, to run concurrently. .

The judge added: “You were hoping to become a professional footballer, it didn’t work out. Many dreams do not work, many ambitions.”