A knifeman who slashed five homeless men during a random spree across Manchester city centre has shown no remorse, investigators say.
Kieran McLoughlin, 32, slashed four men to the face, and another to the back during a 10-minute night time rampage across Piccadilly Gardens and Market Street.
Footage showing the shocking sequence of events has now been released as McLoughlin begins a lengthy spell behind bars.
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It shows panicked onlookers - who saw the attacks unfold from a raised Metrolink platform - confronting McLoughlin after his final stabbing.
A court has heard how members of the public feared the seemingly random knifings could have been a terrorist attack.
They were actually targeted attacks against vulnerable men who were begging on the streets.
McLoughlin was Tasered by police at Market Street tram stop.
He later claimed not have issued with homeless people, but said they 'should be getting off their a*** to do work'.
CCTV footage filmed that night shows McLoughlin approaching and attacking each of the victims.
During one incident he can be seen speaking briefly to the victim before suddenly lashing out and slashing him to the face.
McLoughlin can also be seen bending down to another man, who is sitting on the floor, before attacking him, before walking off and then returning to kick him.
Police worn body cam footage shows an officer running to the platform and bystanders intervening to try and detain the attacker - who had boarded a tram.
Detective Constable Lindsey Morgan, of Greater Manchester Police's Longsight CID, said: "We're pleased that McLoughlin is behind bars for a long time after this truly shocking series of assaults in the city centre where innocent men were targeted without provocation, and had extremely nasty facial injuries inflicted on them that are likely to last a lifetime.
"McLoughlin throughout has failed to acknowledge he committed these offences, or offer anything in the way of remorse, which is all the more reason he deserves to have time behind bars to reflect on the severity of his actions.
"I want to thank the members of the public who tended to the victims when they realised what had happened, and subsequently alerted our city centre patrols so that our officers could negate the threat posed by McLoughlin.”
McLoughlin, of Vine Street, Chadderton, was sentenced on Thursday (January 27) at Manchester Crown Court after he was found guilty of five counts of section 18 assault, and a single count of possession of an offensive weapon.
The court heard how McLoughlin left a bookmakers' on the evening of Sunday January 12, 2020, and walked along Parker Street where he engaged with his first victim.
Asked for change by a 36-year-old man, he proceeded to engage in a brief conversation with him, before suddenly producing a knife and slashing the man across the side of his face, causing a 15cm wound.
Again without provocation, McLoughlin approached a second man, aged 43, outside Greggs and stabbed him in the face, before approaching the tram stop on Market Street and taking a cup of money from another homeless man, aged 47.
McLoughlin continued and stabbed the faces of another two men - aged 53 and 35 respectively - and returned to stab the 47-year-old man in the shoulder before boarding a tram.
The following day, Tommy Dennison - who was attacked near Primark - told the M.E.N how McLoughlin had snatched a cup which another homeless man had been using to collect money, and said 'payback's a b****'.
As he lent down and pretended to give Mr Dennison some money, McLoughlin also slashed him to the face.
Mr Dennison needed 18 stitches.
Two PCSOs and members of the public confronted McLoughlin and prevented him leaving on the tram.
Plain-clothes officers attended and detained him at the scene and recovered the knife during a violent struggle.
Four of the men were taken to hospital and the 47-year-old received treatment at the scene.
Despite extensive evidence, including CCTV of the attacks, McLoughlin denied any involvement in the incident claiming he found the knife on the tram.
He has now been sentenced to 23 years - 18 of which will be spent in custody with an additional five years on license.
McLoughlin refused to attend his sentencing hearing.
Prosecuting, Andy Evans told the court the stabbings caused 'fear and panic' within the city.
"This incident took place at a time of heightened fear and security following a terrorist atrocity in the city two years earlier," he said.
"The victims were highly vulnerable, homeless men begging, all attacked without warning, the majority whilst looking in the other direction.
"There was clear targeting of homeless men.
"The wounds caused were shocking, and were caused in full view of the hundreds of people, including children, present at the scene."
After being arrested, McLoughlin said it was a case of mistaken identity and claimed he didn't have any issues with homeless people.
"It’s not about the homeless, I don’t like Spice, I don’t like anything like that," he said.
"I don’t like any drugs, people that takes drugs or people that’s off on s*** around me."
He said homeless people 'should be getting off their a*** to do work'.
McLoughlin said he had been 'chilling' with friends and smoking cannabis prior to the stabbings, but claimed he was 'sober as a judge'.
Judge Timothy Smith said said McLoughlin embarked on “a short but vicious campaign of cruel, cold, calculated, and targeted violence against these five vulnerable men, a campaign that was as motiveless and mindless as it was malicious and malignant”.
He added: "There was clearly some wider impact on the public, who were justifiably concerned for their own safety in what was reported as random knife attacks, all happening at a time of heightened fears for terrorist attacks."
McLoughlin, who has 115 previous offences in Ireland, and a further 25 in the UK, has shown no remorse for his crimes, the judge added.
Defending, Paul Treble said McLoughlin was living a chaotic lifestyle, and had mental health problems.
But the judge said they played no part in his offending, and were not serious enough to warrant him being detained in hospital rather than prison.
McLoughlin will have to serve two-thirds of the 18 year sentence before the Parole Board decide whether it is safe to release him.
Jayne Sharp, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service North West said: “McLoughlin preyed on these vulnerable males in Manchester City Centre and stabbed 5 males in what appears to be a random unprovoked spree of violence.
“All the victims suffered stab wounds, most required stitches to close the wounds.
“I hope seeing McLoughlin face the consequences of his actions that day, gives the victims a sense of justice for what has happened to them in these totally unprovoked attacks.”
