Pair Stabbed City Workers to Steal Mobile Phones JAILED

Two individuals who went on a violent spree in central London, targeting City workers in an attempt to steal phones, have each been sentenced to 12 years behind bars.

 

Tyrone Dean, aged 24, and Louis Parkinson, aged 26, donned masks as they cycled through central London in October of the previous year, searching for potential robbery victims.

 

When confronted by courageous bystanders, the duo resorted to wielding a knife, inflicting stabbing and slashing injuries before fleeing the scenes.

 

The series of attacks resulted in four people sustaining injuries, including a motorcycle courier who was stabbed twice in the chest, resulting in a collapsed lung. Additionally, a man and a woman suffered stab wounds to their arms, while another man required 52 stitches after being slashed from the top of his cheekbone to his mouth.

 

During their sentencing at Inner London Crown Court, Judge Benedict Kelleher admonished Dean and Parkinson, remarking, "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."

 

Prosecutor Sam Barker characterized the pair's actions as a "brazen spree" of theft, noting that when members of the public attempted to intervene, Dean and Parkinson responded with brutal knife attacks as they desperately sought to evade capture.

 

The theft victims included Paul Grange, who had his phone stolen in Fitzrovia shortly after 9 a.m., and Nicholas Badger, whose phone was taken on Bishopsgate approximately 45 minutes later. CCTV footage revealed that Dean and Parkinson had cycled from Fitzrovia to the Regent Street area on the morning of the attacks, passing busy landmarks populated by City workers and individuals conducting their daily business. The prosecution argued that their presence in these areas was not for sightseeing but rather for the explicit purpose of robbing people of valuable items.

 

Detective Constable David Holmes of City of London Police praised the bravery of the members of the public who intervened, enabling vital evidence collection at the scene to support the investigation. Dean and Parkinson have been deemed a clear risk to the public due to their willingness to resort to extreme violence when challenged.

 

Both individuals will be required to serve at least two-thirds of their prison sentences and will face an additional five years of post-release supervision on license.