A TEENAGER who shot his supposed love rival in the face with a BB gun has avoided being jailed despite failing to abide by a curfew intended to keep him off the streets.

Jack Parfitt was just 17 when he arranged the show down with a man he suspected of flirting with his then girlfriend.

The youngster covered his face and armed himself with a BB gun before heading to the Park South meeting with friend Aaron Toward-Parker in January.

After Parfitt identified his target he opened fire with the pellet gun, then told his mate to get out his terrifying zombie knife – urging him to “back out the shank”.

Toward-Parker waved the knife around and smashed the hilt of the weapon into the head of one of the gun victim's friends before plunging it into the man’s buttocks. The blade was so firmly embedded it had to be surgically removed.

In August, Parfitt was sentenced to a two-year youth rehabilitation order, two-month curfew and 40 hours of unpaid work. He had admitted wounding and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. Toward-Parker was jailed for 11 years and eight months for the stabbing.

Just three months on from his last court appearance, fresh-faced Parfitt was back in the Swindon Crown Court dock for breaching the terms of his youth rehabilitation order.

Parfitt, now 18, admitted failing to abide by his curfew and skipping appointments with the youth offending team.

Richard Williams, for Swindon Council’s youth offending team, said it was agreed with Parfitt’s lawyers that the teen had clocked-up 46 minutes’ worth of curfew violations.

But the lawyer acknowledged he had made progress on some elements of the order, including the unpaid work and he had secured his CSCS card with a view to working on construction sites.

He asked for the breach to be marked with extra community service hours – but that it was allowed to continue.

Defending, Emma Handslip said her client had been moved around by the council following safeguarding concerns.

The curfew violations generally related to times when he was late being dropped off at home by taxis and Ms Handslip said she had spoken to her young client about the importance of timekeeping.

“He is complying with the majority of the order,” she said.

Judge Peter Crabtree allowed the order to continue but marked the breach with 20 extra hours of unpaid work.

He told Parfitt: “You are an extremely lucky man. The offence you committed was extremely serious. Having listened to the evidence you are exceptionally lucky.

“You ran the risk of getting a substantial custodial sentence to say the least.

“You were fortunate. You need to comply with this order completely.

“If there are any further breaches you will be going back to custody. That will be the end of it unless the circumstances are wholly exceptional.”