Man who randomly stabbed three people throughout London jailed for two decades
22 October 2021, 22:44
A man who randomly stabbed three strangers in three separate attacks has been jailed for more than two decades.
Evans Innocent repeatedly and brutally stabbed a woman as she was about to head in to work.
Officers found him armed with four weapons in the same area the next day and arrested him, and managed to link him to two attacks on males earlier the same month.
He was jailed at the Old Bailey on Thursday for 21 years, after being found guilty of attempted murder, two counts of wounding with intent and seven counts of possessing an offensive weapon.
Innocent attacked a woman as she arrived at her work address in Islington, North London, early on April 21 last year.
Read more: Triple stabbing on London night bus leaves man in critical condition
She heard someone run behind her as she made her way through a parking area and felt a bang on the head.
Innocent then stabbed her repeatedly before running away with the weapon.
She was taken to hospital with four stab wounds to her head, neck and left shoulder but survived the assault.
Officers deployed to the area to examine the crime scene and carry out reassurance patrols.
They saw the defendant on the street the next day, armed with four weapons, and managed to arrest him.
One of the weapons was a black-handled knife with a large blade, which was examined by forensics. The woman's DNA was found on the tip of the blade.
Innocent, 45, of no fixed address, was also found with a balaclava.
The Met managed to link him to two other incidents where male members of the public were randomly stabbed, one on April 3 and the other on April 7 last year.
Data from his phone and Oyster cards linked him to the areas during both attacks.
Innocent, who denied the attacks in interviews with police, was given 21 years in prison after mitigation was presented relating to his mental health. He must serve 14 years before being considered for parole.
Detective Constable Russell Harvey, who led the investigation, said: "This was a series of premeditated, unprovoked attacks without any warning or motive.
"Innocent deliberately went out on the streets looking to cause harm to people in the community and his actions were nothing short of horrific.
"Then following his arrest, he attempted at every single stage to frustrate and hinder our investigation, even when cross examined in the box.
He added: "I know that there are heightened concerns about violence against women in our city and we are working tirelessly to solve this type of crime.
"The Met remains committed and dedicated to tackling violent crime and removing dangerous weapons from our communities and putting and violent offenders behind bars."
