The terrified 15-year-old shielded herself with the booklet during a horrific attack by drug-crazed mugger Stephen Williams.
She survived six knife wounds and police found three blade marks tearing through the 36-page programme.
Detective
Constable Graham Finney said: “The victim’s injuries could have been a
lot worse had she not instinctively protected herself using the
programme.
“One shudders to think what would have happened if that hadn’t been between her and the knife.”
The
teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was on her way home
from the Irish group’s gig at London’s O2 Arena in May when the attack
took place in an alleyway.
Crazed
Williams, 33, demanded that the teenager and her sister hand over
their handbags before he repeatedly lunged at her with a 10in kitchen
knife.
The girl suffered wounds to her abdomen, wrist and chest.
Williams,
who had been shooting up heroin earlier that day, then made off with
her handbag, which contained only a bottle of cola and some make-up.
Norwich Crown Court heard that the attack happened in the city after the girls got off a coach from London.
Williams was jailed for seven years and four months after he admitted robbery.
The
judge said: “The fact that no major organ, artery or tendon were
damaged was a matter purely of good luck, nothing more than that.”
After the case, DC Finney said the girl had “Westlife to thank” for the fact she escaped more serious injury.
He added: “This was an extremely traumatic experience for the victim. Williams committed this offence with no concern for her.”
Williams,
branded a “dangerous individual” by police, was ordered to serve an
extra three years on licence after the judge heard he had a long record
of shoplifting.
The
young victim declined to comment after the case but prosecutors
praised her bravery in helping putting her attacker behind bars.
