Indefinite Detention for Leicester Square Attacker
A man who carried out a frenzied and random knife attack on an 11-year-old Australian tourist in central London has been ordered to be detained indefinitely in a psychiatric hospital. Ioan Pintaru, 33, was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Tuesday after pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife.
A Terrifying Ordeal in the West End
The court heard how the shocking incident unfolded on the morning of August 12, 2023. The young victim, who cannot be named, was on holiday with her mother and had just left the Lego store in Leicester Square after buying gifts. At approximately 11:30am, Pintaru approached the girl, placed her in a headlock, and stabbed her eight times in the face, neck, and chest.
Her mother, who witnessed the attack via videolink during proceedings, described seeing Pintaru stab her daughter with a "crazed and vacant" expression, his arm moving "like a jackhammer." She told police she believed with absolute certainty that she was watching her daughter being killed.
A security guard named Abdullah, working at a nearby TWG Tea shop, rushed to intervene. He managed to grab the hand holding the knife, causing Pintaru to drop the weapon, which Abdullah then kicked away. He and two other men restrained the attacker until police arrived minutes later.
Lifelong Trauma and a Hospital Order
Judge Richard Marks KC, passing sentence, detailed the profound impact on the family. He stated the mother now feels a "deep sense of guilt" and constantly scans for danger, while the event has "altered the course of their lives." The girl, now 13, has physically recovered but bears "invisible scars."
Pintaru, of no fixed address, was given a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act with a restriction order under section 41, meaning he can be held indefinitely. The court heard he had previously been in a psychiatric hospital in Romania and was suffering from psychosis at the time of the offence.
This mental state meant the prosecution could not prove an intent to kill, leading them to offer no evidence on an initial charge of attempted murder. In assessments, Pintaru claimed he believed he was being followed and thought getting sent to prison was the only way to save himself.
The judge commended security guard Abdullah for his bravery and ordered he be rewarded with £1,000 from public funds. A nurse who was passing by also helped stem the victim's bleeding before emergency services arrived.
