An early-morning knifeman, who tried to kill his bus stop victim when the middle-aged man refused to first hand over a cigarette and then a fiver, has been caged for eighteen years.
Luke Freeman-Roach, 22, of Weighton Road, Penge was caught on CCTV prowling the streets and approaching victim Ted Stevens, 53, who was waiting to catch a bus to work at 4.35am.
"What a dreadful case this is," announced the Recorder of Croydon Warwick McKinnon. "On a quiet morning last July Mr. Stevens made off for work at 4.18 am and was waiting for a bus outside Anerley Town Hall.
"He was having a quiet cigarette and it must have seemed like an ordinary start to the day, but this was no ordinary day and but for the prompt attention of paramedics he would have died.
"The victim was out and about looking for a victim to rob and had a large carving knife on him, which we can see on the CCTV.
"He confronted the victim at the bus stop and Mr. Stevens resisted and ended up being stabbed three times to the torso.
"The defendant swore at and verbally abused Mr. Stevens that he would kill him and he had one last chance to hand over money.
"He later gave a false story to police that he had been the victim of an attack by Mr. Stevens."
Freeman-Roach was convicted by a Croydon Crown Court jury of attempted murder and Judge McKinnon ordered he must serve at least twelve years of the sentence before he is considered for parole and remain on licence for an additional five years.
He was previously convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm on a train passenger he robbed, breaking their nose during the attack.
The court heard Mr. Stevens continues to suffer post-traumatic stress and Judge McKinnon announced: "It is a bad case of its kind. He was lucky to escape with his knife.
"Freeman-Roach poses a serious risk of dangerous harm to members of the public and I have to take into account the mental and physical suffering of the victim."
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