Sadiq Khan Tells Judge She Got It Wrong To Set Zombie Knifeman Free

28 November 2018, 11:38

The Mayor of London has told LBC a judge was wrong not to jail a man who repeatedly tried to smash a car window with a zombie knife.

18-year-old Joshua Gardner was been handed a suspended sentence for the attack in Croydon in south London in May. It was caught by a dashcam and the footage went viral.

As violent crime increases in the capital, LBC's Rachael Venables asked him whether he agreed with the decision.

Sadiq Khan said: "As a rule, I don't like to criticise judges because they see all the evidence and I don't. But in this case, I'm going to make an exception.

"I've seen the video, I saw it again yesterday. I was scared watching it, so I could only imagine what the person inside the car must have felt when somebody branding a zombie knife and using it in a threatening way, banging it against the window.

"I don't understand how it's possible for somebody in these circumstances to receive a suspended sentence.

"This is a good example of a case where the judge doesn't realise the impact it has on the public.

Sadiq Khan disagreed with judge letting knifeman walk free
Sadiq Khan disagreed with judge letting knifeman walk free. Picture: LBC / Croydon Advertiser

"On a daily basis, I'm encouraging the public to come forward and assist the police in helping us grapple the issue of the increase in violent crime. I'm encouraging on a daily basis for Londoners to be witnesses to crime.

"And where they see a situation where somebody branding a zombie knife in these circumstances is given a suspended sentence, it doesn't instil a great sense of confidence in the public.

"I'll be asking questions about how it's possible in these circumstances for somebody not to receive a custodial sentence."