Man who stabbed Australian girl, 11, in London detained
A man who “angrily and repeatedly” stabbed an 11-year-old girl in a random stabbing attack in London’s Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely.
The Australian boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police he thought he was going to die after being targeted by Ioan Pintaru in the city’s West End while on holiday with his mother on the morning of August 12 last year.
The 33-year-old defendant approached the girl, who was leaving the Lego store where she and her mother bought gifts for their family, at around 11.30 am, put her on her neck and stabbed her eight times in the face, neck and chest.
Pintaru, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in October to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife.
He was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday to a hospital order under Section 37 and a restraining order under Section 41 of the Mental Health Act; This means he can be detained indefinitely.
Judge Richard Marks KC said: “(The victim’s) mother’s victim impact statement described how, when it happened in front of her, she absolutely believed she was watching her daughter being killed in front of her and how she relived the moment over and over again.”
The judge said the mother had suffered “profound” emotional and psychological harm, leading to “constant screening for danger”.
“He feels a deep sense of guilt for not being able to protect his daughter and has an extremely difficult time allowing her independence,” he continued.
“There is a shadow over them that wasn’t there before.
“This event changed the course of their lives, the trauma they carry lasts a lifetime.”
The judge also said he had read letters from Pintaru’s mother and his priest in Romania, which defense lawyer Claire Davies KC had previously mentioned.
The court heard Pintaru initially faced a charge of attempted murder, but the prosecution ruled that his psychosis at the time of the crime meant it could not be proven that he had intended to kill.
On Tuesday, the Crown presented no evidence on the attempted murder count.
Her mother, who watched the hearing via video link, told police she saw Pintaru stab her daughter “angrily and repeatedly”.
He said his arm was moving “like a drill, using as much force as he could” and that he thought he was “trying to kill himself” with a “crazy and empty” expression.
She added that he was “wide-eyed and manic, as if nothing could stop him.”
A security guard working at the nearby TWG Tea shop, identified only as Abdullah, rushed to intervene and managed to grab the hand holding the knife, causing Pintaru to drop the gun and Abdullah then kicked the gun away.
The guard and two other men managed to pin down Pintaru before police arrived a few minutes later and arrested him.
A nurse passing by helps stop the victim’s bleeding.
The judge praised Abdullah for his bravery and awarded him 1,000 pounds ($A2,000) from public funds.
The court heard the girl, now 13, had physically healed from her injuries but remained with “invisible scars”.
The court was told Pintaru became upset during his interview with police, particularly when officers said they would show him pictures of the injuries he had caused.
He is said to have put his head in his hands, cried and said “no” at the prospect of watching CCTV footage of the attack.
The court heard Pintaru had previously been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Romania along with what appeared to be three healthcare workers.
The prosecutor said that in his assessment following the Leicester Square attack, Pintaru told a psychiatrist that he did not want to commit a crime but believed he was being followed and the only way to save himself was to have him jailed.
