Man ’put girl in headlock and stabbed her eight times’ in Leicester Square attack
A man has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl in Leicester Square.
Ioan Pintaru, 32, has also been charged with possession of a bladed article in a public place, which the court heard was a steak knife.
The 11-year-old was taken to hospital after the stabbing where her injuries were said to be non life-threatening.
The child’s mother, 34, who was with her at the time of the attack, was initially believed to have also been hurt.
Discarded clothing and emergency medical equipment in the TWG Tea shop in Leicester Square (James Manning/PA)
Pintaru appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning wearing a grey prison-issue sweatshirt.
The court heard he is a Romanian citizen of no fixed address and the charges were read to him through an interpreter during the 10-minute hearing.
Prosecutor David Burns said a woman and her 11-year-old daughter were in Leicester Square as tourists when the defendant ‘approached the 11-year-old girl, placed her into a headlock, he’s then stabbed her eight times to the body’.
He added: ‘She sustained wounds to the face, shoulder, wrist and neck area.
‘Fortunately members of the public intervened, which prevented any further injury being made to the child.’
He added that the defendant was ‘found being held by members of the public’ after officers rushed to the scene.
‘He was detained and searched and found a knife on his person,’ Mr Burns said.
‘In relation to the complainant – she was taken to hospital and she currently resides in hospital where she’s undergoing treatment.
‘I understand that she required plastic surgery for the injuries she sustained.’
Pintaru was remanded in custody and will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 10.
The stabbing took place at the TWG tea shop in the heart of Leicester Square, in what police believe is a random attack and was not believed to be terror-related.
The tea shop brands itself as a ‘high quality’ tea company with ‘luxury’ tea and accessories.
Leicester Square and the surrounding area attracts an estimated 2.5 million visitors every week and is home to shops, theatres, cinemas and restaurants.
A security guard who works at the shop was branded a hero by his colleagues after he stepped in to protect the girl during the attack.
The tea shop worker, called Abdullah, said he rushed to save the youngster after hearing screams during his shift.
Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: ‘This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their family. We will continue to provide support to them over the coming days and weeks.
‘I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.’
A police spokesman added: ‘Police were called to Leicester Square at 11:34hrs on Monday, 12 August following reports of a stabbing.
‘An 11-year-old girl was found with stab wounds. She was taken to hospital where her injuries, while serious, were assessed as non-life threatening.
‘It was initially believed that the girl’s mother, a 34-year-old woman, was also hurt however it was later confirmed that blood from her daughter’s injuries had been mistaken for injuries of her own.’
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