Louis Parkinson (left) and Tyrone Dean (right) were each jailed for 12 years (Picture: City of London Police)
Two thieves who stabbed brave passers-by when they tried to thwart their mobile phone mugging spree have each been jailed for 12 years.
Tyrone Dean, 24, and Louis Parkinson, 26, wore masks as they cycled around central London hunting for victims on October 6.
Their ‘brazen spree’ started in Fitzrovia shortly after 9am, when one man was knifed in the arm while trying to claw his phone back, before they moved on to Bishopsgate.
There they ripped another handset from someone’s hand, but their escape plans were disrupted when several onlookers stepped in and tried to detain them.
One woman, Alison Sanders, was stabbed in the arm by Dean, who also knifed courier Vladimiros Konstantinidis twice in the chest and once in the back, causing his lung to collapse.
Another man Henry Charlton-Weedy needed 52 stitches and was also marked for life after being slashed in the face and left with a severe scar running from the top of his cheekbone to his mouth.
They were among seven passers-by who were commended for their bravery by the judge, along with two first aiders.
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Heroes commended by judge for their ‘great bravery and public spiritedness’
The brave people who helped thwart the Bishopsgate mobile phone robbers and helped their injured victims have been commended and praised by a judge.
Judge Benedict Kelleher said ‘all of them showed great bravery and public spiritedness’ and agreed with the prosecution that several people should receive a ‘financial reward as might be deemed appropriate by way of a Sheriff’s Award’.
The judge awarded £750 to those who physically tried to intervene and £500 to the first-aiders.
The commendations given to those who tried apprehend Parkinson and Dean included:
– Matthew McEwen, who immediately tried to stop Dean when he saw he had stolen Nicholas Badger’s mobile phone. He forced Dean off his bicycle and grappled with him to prevent his escape until he was knocked to the ground by Parkinson.
– Ed Enzor attempted to tackle the two attackers, after he saw that Mr McEwen was beaten to the ground by Parkinson. He called 999 and gave first aid to Mr McEwen while the incident was taking place. He also talked the emergency operator through what was unfolding at the scene.
– William Allison attempted to tackle Parkinson and help detain Dean. He was knocked the ground during the violence and injured his elbow. He gave first aid to Vladimiros Konstantinidis after he saw him being stabbed.
– Alison Sanders tried to stop both attackers from escaping. She refused to let Dean get away, despite being isolated from the main melee and on her own against an assailant armed with a knife. Dean stabbed her in the arm because she refused to let him go.
– Vladimiros Konstantinidis tried to capture the attackers. He was stabbed in the chest as he tried to grapple with Dean to stop him from escaping. He persisted in trying to detain him until he realised the severity of his injuries.
– Samuel Bawden also tried to tackle the men. He wrestled with Parkinson who tried to stab him. He went on to give first aid to Mr Konstantinidis as the violence continued around them.
– Henry Charlton-Weedy repeatedly tried to take on the attackers even though it was known they had a knife. He also pulled Parkinson’s bag from his back which helped police find crucial DNA evidence. He wrestled with Dean and tried to stop Parkinson from escaping, at which point he was stabbed in the face.
The commendations given to those who gave immediate assistance included:
– Kate Morrell and Sophie Kenyon gave first aid to Alison Sanders while the violence was still raging around them. They applied a tourniquet to her heavily bleeding arm and helped her until the emergency services arrived.
– Robert Wallace and Charlie Pamphlett gave first aid to Mr Konstantinidis, Mr Charlton-Weedy and Ms Sanders before the emergency services arrived.
Prosecutor Sam Barker said: ‘The group broke up as the fight became more ferocious, and Mr Dean swung the knife. Mr Allison was knocked to the ground by Mr Parkinson, and Mr Konsantinidis and Mr Parkinson began to grapple.
‘Mr Dean then sought to return to his bicycle, pursued by Alison Sanders. As she single-handedly sought to stop him escaping, Ms Sanders was stabbed by Mr Dean in the arm.’
Mr Konstantinidis said he had been left ‘in a worse place’ after the incident as he had had to spend some of his savings – which had been earmarked for his wedding – when he was forced to take six weeks off work due to his injuries.
Police officers at the scene at Bishopsgate in London (Picture: PA)
In his victim impact statement, he said: ‘I cannot believe that this has happened to me and so many lives have been changed over a mobile phone, including the suspects who have changed their futures.’
Mr Konstantinidis, who said he had had to deal with ‘fear, stress and anxiety’, added: ‘This was a frenzied attack with no control or calculation which could have left me blind or worse dead.’
Ms Sanders needed surgery as the injury she suffered severed a tendon and her radial nerve.
In her victim statement, Ms Sanders told the court that her recovery was expected to take two years and that she would only have 80% function in her right hand and that she may never play the piano again.
Parkinson and Dean were found guilty for their part in a robbery and knife attack in the City of London (Picture: PA)
Ms Sanders said: ‘I will never be the same as I was before the incident and that is due to the defendants.’
She added: ‘I used to play piano regularly in church. I enjoyed it and it meant a lot to me. It’s hard to think I may never be able to play the piano in the way I used to.’
Dean, of Haringey, north London, admitted robbery, possession of a knife, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, theft, two counts of wounding, attempting to wound, and possession of cannabis.
Parkinson, of Highbury, north London, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of a knife, attempting to wound, wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and possession of cannabis.
Medical equipment strewn across the pavement following the attacks (Picture: PA)
The pair, who both have lengthy criminal records stretching back to when they were youths, were each sentenced to 12 years in prison.
They will have to serve at least two-thirds of their jail sentences, and an extra five years on licence once released.
Both men offered their apologies for the stabbings.
Judge Benedict Kelleher told them: ‘You acted with appalling violence.
‘The incident caused widespread concern and national media coverage. It was a truly shocking example of mindless violence and utter lawlessness.’
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‘It was a truly shocking example of mindless violence and utter lawlessness.’