18 St John Street’s Andy Evans prosecuted and Paul Treble defended Kieran McLoughlin who was sentenced to a 23 year Extended Sentence yesterday in relation to five stabbings he committed as part of ten minute spree across Market Street, Manchester on Sunday January 12 2020.
All of his victims were begging and had the appearance of being homeless. Four were slashed to the face, causing permanent scarring. The defendant was unanimously convicted of all counts.
The prosecution involved considering hours of CCTV and Bodyworn Camera footage from over 20 different sources, to collate for the jury a clear picture of a chaotic and fast moving incident.
The case also involved forensic evidence including low-copy DNA in bloodstaining, reluctant civilian eyewitnesses, the evidential nature of foreign previous convictions and, prior to sentence, psychiatric assessment. In prosecuting Andy Evans also needed to convey the panic caused of a multiple victim stabbing event in the context of the terror threat present at the time.
In sentencing him, HHJ Smith described the offending as follows: ”in the course of an eight minute period the Defendant conducted a short but vicious campaign of cruel, cold calculated violence, which was as motiveless and mindless as it was malicious and malignant. A lock knife was used to slash the faces of four men and to stab a fifth. All this took place during a busy time in Manchester, the pavements busy with pedestrians.”
Please see below links to the associated press.
The BBC News article is here: Manchester stabbings: Knifeman slashed five rough sleepers at random – BBC News
ITV Granada – Man jailed after stabbing homeless people in ‘random’ Manchester city centre attack | ITV News Granada
The Manchester Evening News : Members of public feared potential terror attack as knifeman randomly slashed people during horrific ten minute stabbing spree – Manchester Evening News
That story was copied in The Mirror this morning: Public feared terror attack during knifeman’s rampage targeting the homeless – Mirror Online
CPS Press Release: Man jailed for stabbing homeless men in Manchester | The Crown Prosecution Service (cps.gov.uk)
Andy Evans and Paul Treble are members of the Criminal Department at 18 St John Street Chambers. For more information, please click the links above or contact a member of the criminal clerking team on 0161 278 8262 or via email criminal@18sjs.com
