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Eight years for ambush attack
THE victim of a knife-wielding thug was in court at the Old Bailey to see him sentenced to eight years for what Judge Stephen Kramer, QC, described as “a truly dreadful attack”.
Takeaway delivery driver Carlos Alberto came within a fraction of losing his life when a blade was plunged into his chest. Four layers of clothing were cut through and his heart was sliced.
Describing how he was ambushed moments after dropping off a Chinese takeaway to a customer, Mr Alberto said he was returning to his motorbike when he was confronted by 6ft 4in Ahmed Omar, armed with a hidden knife.
Mr Alberto, 25, was on the second floor balcony of Evelyn Court in Cropley Street, Shoreditch, on the night of March 31.
Mr Alberto recalled: “The man said ‘Give me the money’. He had a knife in his right hand. I said ‘Wait, I’ll give it to you’, and went to unzip my chest pocket.
“The jacket was difficult to open. He did not wait. He threw the knife into my chest, still holding it. He said I was taking too long. Then he ran off.”
Prosecution counsel Peter Clement said Mr Alberto had “no chance of avoiding the knife or defending himself”.
The blade wielded with “surprise and speed” by the would-be robber cut into his heart and he was moments from death when he received life-saving medical help in the London Hospital, Whitechapel, Mr Clement added.
Omar, 18, of Moneyer House, Nile Street on the Provost Estate, denied being the assailant and blamed a “friend”.
Jurors cleared him of attempted murder but found him guilty of wounding. His defence counsel, Edward Henry, said that although Omar frequented the area of the attack, he was mistakenly identified as the assailant.
Mr Alberto returned to his customer’s flat for help, clutching his chest, and the emergency services were called. |
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