A man has been locked up after stabbing a complete stranger in the head, leaving him with life-changing injuries. Richard Sivanda, 23, from Highgate Hill, was today sentenced to XX years at Snaresbrook Crown Court for attempted murder.
Brutal attack on an innocent man
The victim, a 20-year-old man, was attacked while walking with his girlfriend near Highgate tube station in north London. Sivanda wrongly believed the victim was linked to a rival gang. When the couple tried to walk away, Sivanda chased and stabbed the man in the head with a pointed weapon. The victim was rushed to the hospital in a critical condition. Despite life-saving treatment, he now suffers permanent brain damage and needs assisted living.
CCTV and social media led to a swift arrest
Police reviewed CCTV footage showing Sivanda in the area before and after the attack. He returned home, where officers arrested him just 29 hours later. Detectives also found a video of Sivanda boasting about the stabbing, using a face-masking filter, claiming he believed he had killed the victim.
Met Police signal crackdown on knife crime
“Our mission to eradicate this kind of violence is having an impact,” said Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Alger. “The number of stabbing hospitalisations has fallen by 29 per cent in five years, but we keep fighting serious violence on our streets.”
The Met removed nearly 3,000 knives last year alone, using data-led tactics, gang busts, and prosecutions to protect Londoners. This harrowing case is a stark reminder of how gang violence and mistaken identity can ruin innocent lives.
