Romanian knifeman detained indefinitely for 'furiously and repeatedly' stabbing Australian girl, 11, in Leicester Square
The girl, 11, was leaving the Lego store with her mother when she was attacked from behind
A Romanian man who "furiously and repeatedly" stabbed an Australian child in Leicester Square has been detained indefinitely in a high security mental hospital.
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The 11-year-old victim had been leaving the Lego store when she was placed in a headlock and stabbed eight times from behind by Ioan Pintaru.
The girl, who was on holiday with her mother at the time and can't be named for legal reasons, later told police she thought she was going to die.
She sustained injuries to her face, neck and chest, of which required plastic surgery.
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Pintaru, 33, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty in October to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife.
On Tuesday at the Old Bailey, he was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and a restriction order under Section 41, meaning he can be detained indefinitely.
Prosecutor Heidi Stonecliffe KC said the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, described in an interview with police how she felt something crash into her from behind and hit her on the head.
Ms Stonecliffe said: "She felt the defendant’s arm wrap itself around her.
"His weight was on her. She said in the interview that at that moment she thought she was going to die.
"She felt the defendant stab her in the face and felt the blood from the wound running down her face. She was understandably terrified."
Her mother, who watched court proceedings over a video-link, told police she saw Pintaru "furiously and repeatedly" stabbing her daughter.
The woman said his arm was moving like a "jackhammer" using "as much force as he could" and that she thought 'he was trying to kill her" with a "crazed and vacant" expression.
She added that he was "wide-eyed and manic like nothing was going to stop him."
Judge Richard Marks KC said: "A victim impact statement from (the victim's) mother described how when the incident unfolded in front of her she believed with absolute certainty that she was watching her daughter being killed in front of her, and how she relives that moment over and over."
"She feels a deep sense of guilt for not having been able to protect her daughter and she finds it extremely difficult to allow her independence."
Pintaru originally faced a charge of attempted murder but the prosecution decided that his psychosis at the time of the offence meant it could not be proven that he had an intent to kill, the court heard.
A security guard working at nearby shop TWG Tea, named as Abdullah, intervened and was able to grab the hand holding the knife, leading to Pintaru dropping the weapon, which Abdullah then kicked away.
The guard and two other men were able to pin Pintaru down before police arrived minutes later and arrested him. A nurse walking past help stem the victim’s bleeding.
The judge commended Abdullah for his bravery and ordered that he be rewarded with £1,000 from public funds.
The court heard the girl, now 13, has recovered physically from her wounds but "invisible scars" remain.
"She is deeply conscious of her scars," Ms Stonecliffe said.
"The psychological effects of this incident will remain with (her) for the rest of her life."
The court heard Pintaru became upset during his interview with the police, particularly when officers told him they were going to show him pictures of the injuries he inflicted.
He is said to have put his head in his hands, cried and said 'no" to the prospect of viewing CCTV footage of the assault.
Pintaru, in the dock with what appeared to be three health workers, had previously been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in Romania, the court heard.
The judge also said he had read letters from Pintaru’s mother and his priest in Romania, which defence barrister Claire Davies KC had mentioned earlier.
In assessments after the Leicester Square attack, Pintaru told one psychiatrist he had not wanted to commit the offence but believed he was being followed and that the only way to save himself was to get himself sent to prison, the prosecutor said.