A knifeman who left a diplomat and banker in pools of blood after a lollipop stick tossed by their group touched his BMW as he drove through Soho has been caged for twelve years.
Darius Antoine, 22,(pic.) of Haggerston Road, Hackney, East London also intimidated the crowd with martial art nunchukas outside Moonlighting, Greek Street (pic.).
He was convicted by a Southwark Crown Court jury of wounding Bahamian diplomat Brian Dorsett, 33, and 40 year-old banker Ben McKinney, with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, in the early hours of December 6, last year.
Both men had earlier attended a black tie function aboard HMS President, moored by Temple and a function for young diplomats in Buckingham Palace Road.
They were rushed by helicopter to the Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel after a chest wound punctured Mr. Dorsett’s lung and Mr. McKinney was stabbed in the stomach.
Detective Sergeant Andy Passingham from the Westminster Borough Serious Violence Team said: “We are really pleased with the outcome of this trial. This sentencing reflects the seriousness of this offence and the hard work of the team resulting in this man being brought to justice.”
Recorder William Boyce QC told Antoine he stabbed the victims ''for no reason whatsoever'' in a ''wholly unjustified'' attack.
Mr. McKinney was able to take down the BMW's registration number despite having been stabbed and Antoine was arrested on December 18.
Recorder Boyce added Antoine was ''carrying the knife to use as and when the occasion arose''.
“For no reason whatsoever he stabbed two men, one of whom was utterly helpless, and yet he still came back for more,” he added.
Leaving the club at about 5am one of the group, investment banker Adlai Kerr, threw a lollipop stick into the road, accidentally hitting the rear windscreen of a white BMW but causing no damage and leaving no marks whatsoever.
Antoine got out of the car and demanded an apology, but the group of friends thought he was making something out of nothing.
He went back to the car to get the knife and returned to stab Mr. McKinney.
Antoine returned to the car, but seeing Mr. Dorsett was “totally helpless” and held in a full Nelson by another man he returned to stab the victim in the chest, causing him life-threatening injuries.
The judge said it was ''a lottery'' whether the victims suffered fatal injuries or not and added that Antoine was lucky that both men made full recoveries.
“Each of them will be mentally affected for a long time to come by your shocking and unlawful behaviour,” added Recorder Boyce.
Witnesses then saw Antoine ''full of confidence and bravado'' head to the boot of another car and arm himself with a pair of nunchuckas.
He was caught on video, swinging the nunchuckas around in a ''completely arrogant and self-confident'' manner, ''prepared to take on anybody'', the judge said.
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