A brutal hoodie mugger – who stabbed a gay Knightsbridge store boss through the heart yards from the victim’s front door – will be sentenced this Monday.
Andrew Pratt, 43, manager of Sloane Street’s Emilio Pucci, was walking home carrying a Gucci bag late at night when targeted in Northlands Street, Camberwell.
Killer Errol Clarke, 44, of Rutford Road, Streatham, pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to murdering Mr. Pratt on August 2, plus a further 3 robberies.
Witnesses reported seeing the hooded attacker rifle through Mr. Pratt’s pockets as he lay bleeding to death from a single stab wound at 10.45pm.
The victim staggered towards his front door and was later rushed to nearby Kings College Hospital, where he was pronounced dead an hour later and a murder enquiry was immediately launched by the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.
Mr. Pratt (pictured) had been appointed store manager two months earlier, after being employed as assistant manager for several years.
Following the murder security guard Tony Tuck, 46, who works next door at Chanel but had worked for Mr Pratt, said: "I'm devastated. This is awful, he was such a fun-loving guy.
“I used to go for a beer with him and he seemed very happy with life, he had a long-term boyfriend and everything was going well."
One witness, who asked not to be named, said the robber calmly walked away after the attack.
He said: "I heard some shouting and went outside and saw the victim walking down the street.
“It was a robbery. There was blood on the pavement and he was walking up to his house but not in a good way. He was injured in his chest. There was a guy with his hood up who just walked away."
Another neighbour said the attack was over the Gucci bag. She said: "It is absolutely appalling. I have lived here 25 years and the area has changed hideously in terms of violence."
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