Amine Laouar: Student jailed for 38 years for ‘random’ stabbing murder in north London | UK News
A student has been jailed for life for stabbing one man to death and wounding two others in a “random” knife attack in London.
Amine Laouar was told he would serve at least 38 years in prison for the murder on Leon Street last January.
The 21-year-old was also convicted of two counts of assault on a stranger in a six-day period.
Mr Street left his home to go to shops in Neasden, north London, at around 9.30pm when he was stabbed repeatedly, the Old Bailey heard.
The 48-year-old man, with a partner and child, suffered five stab wounds to the chest, as well as wounds to his arms and legs.
Despite efforts from paramedics to save his life, the former delivery driver was pronounced dead an hour later.
Leon Street stabbed to death in a ‘random’ knife attack
Sentencing Laouar, Judge Martin Picton said: “Your attack on Mr Street was brutal and unrepentant.
“Even a motorcyclist passing by honking their horn can’t distract you from the act of repeatedly stabbing your victim.”
Minutes before the attack on Mr Street, another man was stabbed just 150 meters away on Neasden Lane North.
The 21-year-old defendant ran up behind Mirvais Khan and stabbed him once in the back, penetrating his lungs.
Mr Khan was “very fortunate” to have survived, the court heard.
‘Very lucky’ to survive
The third man, Mitul Karaniya was stabbed 6 days later on January 17 last year.
Mr Karaniya, who went out to buy breakfast and passed by exactly where Mr Khan was attacked, was also stabbed in the back, the court said.
He was also “lucky” to survive after suffering a broken rib and a punctured lung.
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones QC said: “In each case, the victim appeared to have been chosen completely at random.
“The victims did not know each other, and they were not related in any way.”
He added: “The only thing they have in common is that they happened to be walking along the same stretch of Neasden Lane North at the same time when they were attacked.”
Laouar, who lives nearby, denies killing Mr Street, intentionally wounding Mr Khan and conspiring to kill Mr Karaniya.
He was identified by DNA evidence, but given the evidence, the defendant argued that he had been framed by the real killer and that the prosecution had the wrong person.
