His victim’s identity is still a mystery, but the attacker who slashed at a cyclist in broad daylight has been jailed for four years, thanks to some shocking CCTV footage.
The cyclist used his bike as a weapon to fend off Cecil Samba, 22, who had run across the street wielding a blade in the English city of Leicester on March 22.
Despite the victim never stepping forward, Samba, from London, was jailed on Sept. 28 for attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.
Leicester Police released the footage of the attack.
The victim fled the scene a few minutes before an ambulance arrived.
PC Suhaib Khalid, the investigating officer, said, “This is yet another example of the damage that can be done when a decision is made to carry a knife.”
“Samba carried out an unprovoked attack on a man in a busy city street, and despite extensive enquiries to locate the victim, he remains unidentified,” the statement continued.
Knife crime has been rising in the UK along with other violent crime, especially in London, in recent years.
Data released by the UK’s office of statistics shows that, excluding terror attacks, there was a total of 701 homicides in the year ending March 2018—a 12 percent increase from the previous year.
There was a 16 percent rise in recorded offenses involving a knife or sharp instrument.
Khalid said, “I hope that today’s outcome serves as a warning to anyone intent on carrying a knife and using it against another person that we will carry out a full and thorough investigation and bring those responsible to justice.