Life Sentence for Brutal Christmas Stabbing in North London
Taner Saltan, 28, from Northumberland Grove, N17, has been handed life imprisonment with a minimum of seven years and four months for a savage knife attack. The Wood Green Crown Court sentenced him on 1 July, following a guilty plea to grievous bodily harm and possession of a sharp weapon.
Vicious Attack on Boxing Day Morning
The horror unfolded in Green Lanes, N13, in the early hours of 26 December 2019. The 39-year-old victim had been celebrating Christmas with friends when Saltan and three others pulled up in a car and confronted them at a bus stop around 1:30am.
- The victim was thrown to the ground in a punch-up while his friends were chased off.
- After briefly escaping, he was ambushed again by Saltan and two others near Sidney Avenue.
- CCTV captured Saltan stabbing the victim multiple times in the groin with a knife, while accomplices punched him.
- Saltan then dragged the bloodied man out of the road before leaving him to bleed out.
Victim Clinically Dead, Miraculously Rescued
Emergency crews found the victim with two stab wounds severing a major artery, causing catastrophic bleeding. Paramedics applied a tourniquet and battled to save his life—he was clinically dead for 20 crucial minutes before being revived through emergency surgery and heart massage on the street.
He has since made a full recovery.
Fugitive Caught and Justice Served
After the attack, Saltan fled to Switzerland but was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 26 May 2020 upon return from Zurich. He refused to comment or offer any explanation for the unprovoked, savage assault on a stranger.
“This was a merciless attack and it was extremely lucky that the victim pulled through after his ordeal,” said Detective Constable Sipho Gumpo, who led the inquiry. “Saltan has shown no remorse or explanation for his crime. He will now have time in prison to think about what a cowardly and horrific act he committed.”
“We hope this sentence sends a clear warning: carry a knife and you will face serious consequences. You don’t just ruin other people’s lives—you risk destroying your own.”
The Met remains committed to cracking down on violent offenders, removing weapons from the streets, and protecting the public.
