Young Offenders Orchestrate Brutal Stabbing from Behind Bars
Gino Menga, 20, was locked up in a young offenders institute when he masterminded a savage stabbing attack. He urged two accomplices, Kai Woodcock, 18, from Bedford, and Callum Andrews, 21, from Enfield, to strike a targeted victim.
Knife Attack Planned with Military Precision
Woodcock and Andrews plotted every detail of the ambush. They debated which knives to use and even arranged their escape in a car registered with fake insurance. Armed with knives and machetes, the pair were tipped off by Menga that their victim was waiting in a remote spot called ‘The Beach’, near the River Ivel, just before 9pm on August 24, 2020.
They drove to the secluded location and launched a ferocious assault, leaving the man severely injured across his head and body.
Detectives Crack Down on Cold-Blooded Conspiracy
The Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit took on the investigation. Tracing communications, officers discovered Menga directed the attack from behind bars, staying in close contact with Woodcock and Andrews.
Phone data and ANPR evidence placed the attackers at the scene and tracked their desperate getaway attempts.
Jail Sentences Delivered for Merciless Violence
- Callum Andrews was sentenced to 20 years in jail plus five years on extended licence. Charges included conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, wounding with intent, possession of Class A and B drugs with intent to supply, and carrying a bladed weapon.
- Kai Woodcock received 10 years and six months in prison, with an additional five years plus 14 months extended licence, for conspiracy to commit GBH, wounding with intent, criminal damage, and threatening with a bladed article.
- Gino Menga was jailed for 14 years and nine months, plus five years extended licence, for conspiracy to commit GBH with intent.
The trio were convicted at Luton Crown Court in December after a trial. A fourth suspect remains at large, with detectives appealing for help.
Police Praise Emergency Services for Saving Life
“This was an attack planned at great length, with the sole purpose to inflict severe harm,” said Detective Inspector Justine Jenkins of the Major Crime Unit. “The group knew their actions could have killed the victim. It was only luck and the hard work of emergency services that saved his life.”
“Menga was more than happy to get others to do his dirty work from prison. I’m relieved they are behind bars and can no longer threaten our community.”
“Such violence has no place in Bedfordshire. Their recklessness could have cost a life and has ruined their own futures.”
The Bedfordshire Violence and Exploitation Reduction Unit tackles youth violence through a public health approach, aiming to prevent attacks before they happen.
