Two men have been jailed for a combined six years after carrying out a knife attack at a football match in Canterbury.
Sean Bayley, 20, and Malcolm Baltazar, 23, were sentenced at Canterbury Crown Court on Monday, October 5 after admitting attempting to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.
Bayley, of Sobraon Way, Canterbury, was jailed for two years and four months.
Baltazar, of Ellisons Walk, Canterbury, was sentenced to four years in prison.
Masked men arrived on moped
The attack happened on Sunday, April 5 as a football match was about to begin on Littlebourne Road.
Kent Police said two masked men on a moped approached the edge of the grounds and became involved in a confrontation with people attending the match.
Bayley and Baltazar assaulted two men before leaving the scene and threatening to return.
Less than 10 minutes later, police said they returned on the moped armed with weapons.
Bayley produced a small knife while Baltazar was armed with a machete-style blade.
One of the men involved in the earlier confrontation was stabbed as he attempted to get away.
He was taken to a London hospital with serious injuries and was later discharged.
Police said the victims and attackers had not previously known one another.
CCTV helped identify attackers
Officers attended but the suspects had already fled.
Detectives launched an investigation and analysed CCTV footage to track the movements of the moped used during the attack.
Police identified Bayley and Baltazar as suspects.
Searches were carried out at Bayley’s home on the same day.
Officers recovered a Canada Goose coat and motorcycle helmet which they said matched items seen on CCTV.
The moped used in the attack was also found concealed in a nearby street, along with another helmet.
Bayley handed himself in at Canterbury police station the following day.
Baltazar was arrested at his home the following week.
‘Random and completely unprovoked’
Detective Sergeant Evie Baker, who investigated the case, said:
“This was a random and completely unprovoked attack that has had a life-changing impact on the young victims and the multiple people who witnessed it.”
She said the sentences demonstrated the consequences for people who choose to carry and use knives.
Both men are now serving their prison sentences.
