A knifeman who stabbed two strangers more than a dozen times in a horrific attack at a Tube station has been jailed for 11 years.
Nicholas Orlando Green, 36, attacked Phillip Thomas, 44, and Chintz Patel, 42, at Kennington Underground station in south London as they headed home from a dance class.
Green repeatedly stabbed Mr Thomas in the chest before knocking Mr Patel to the ground and also stabbing him when he bravely rushed over to help.
The attacker also assaulted a woman as he fled the scene of the double stabbing, which happened at around 10.30pm on March 27 last year.
Green, who simply laughed when arrested, was caught thanks to the bank card he had used to travel on the Tube, Inner London Crown Court heard.
He had also left his trainers at the scene of the attack.
Mr Thomas delivered a powerful victim impact statement personally in court, saying: “It is an odd feeling to know that I could easily have been dead for over a year now, because death was a very possible outcome after I was stabbed multiple times that day.
“Because many times since then I felt that I should be dead, and at my lowest I felt that it would be easier than the pain of piercing my fractured life back together.
“If he had stabbed me one inch higher I very likely would not be around to say this today.”
Mr Thomas added that he was “lucky Mr Patel had the unbelievable courage to step in.
“Eventually you get out of bed. Eventually you make it up the stairs without running out of breath. Eventually you learn to sleep at an angle that doesn't hurt your side. Eventually you run a marathon for charity because you need to balance wickedness with goodness.
“I will never walk the streets without worry because of him. I never take the Tube without scanning the carriage because of him.
“Even when I am at home, where safety should be a right, he is there.
“I will never be the carefree person I was before. That person was killed on the platform on 27 March 2024. That is because of him.
'He violated me and now I am trapped with him, the person I want to think about the least.
Mr Patel, who suffered 13 total stab wounds, broke down in tears as he told the court: “My mental health has suffered significantly. The scars on my body are a constant reminder of what happened and they will always remain with me.
“Each day is different. Sometimes I am fine, and I can go about my day like nothing happened. Other times I am not fine. I just freeze, and lock myself away from the world.
“My confidence has changed so much. Slowly, it is returning.
“For months I could not take public transport. I had to Uber everywhere. Slowly I managed to get back on public transport. To this day I still cannot go to Kennington Tube station.
“Hopefully in time I will truly be able to move on from this.”
Judge Vanessa Baraitser sentenced Green to 11 years in prison with an extra five years on licence once released, and said the attacks happened “without provocation or warning”.
“Platform footage captured you going towards Mr Thomas and grabbing hold of him”, she said.
“For the next 20 seconds you are seen striking him with your clenched hand, which we now know was holding a knife.
“At 10:33pm Mr Patel is seen rushing over to the opposite platform, and with remarkable bravery, intervenes in this attack.
“This appeared to distract you and you turned your attention to him, and you attacked him in much the same way.
“A group of passengers rushed over bravely managed to pull Green away.
“All those who intervened to help Mr Thomas and put themselves in harm's way to do so showed real selflessness and courage.”
The court heard Green was assessed by psychiatrists and was found to have a severe personality disorder, but he was not suffering from psychosis at the time of the stabbings.
Green, of Kennington Park Road, Southwark, was cleared by a jury of two counts of attempted murder but convicted of two lesser charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent, as well as possession of a bladed article and common assault.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Attwell said: “This was a truly horrific and unprovoked attack that left two innocent men with life-altering physical and psychological injuries that they continue to recover from.
“Green's torrent of violence that day has never been satisfactorily explained. During police interviews Green repeatedly laughed, lied, argued and tried to frustrate our investigation as much as he could, but our officers worked tirelessly to gather crucial evidence that helped the jury see through his lies and bring him to justice.
“I hope this outcome brings some measure of justice and reassurance to the victims and their loved ones. We will stop at nothing to ensure violent offenders like Green are held to account and removed from the streets.”
