Bishopsgate: Two men jailed for 'brazen' robberies and knife attacks

Louis Parkinson (left) and Tyrone Dean (right) have each received 17-year sentences

Two men who inflicted "savage injuries" on members of the public during a robbery and knife attack in central London have been jailed.

Tyrone Dean, 24, and Louis Parkinson, 26, were thwarted by passers-by after attempting to snatch mobile phones on 6 October last year.

Dean and Parkinson were each handed a 17-year sentence:12 years in prison and a further five years on licence.

Both men offered their apologies for the stabbings.

Prosecutor Sam Barker told Inner London Crown Court that the pair carried out a "brazen spree" of theft.

He added: "When civic-minded members of the public sought to apprehend them, the defendants caused them savage injuries with a knife in their frantic attempts to escape."

The crime spree began when Paul Grange was robbed of his mobile phone in Fitzrovia shortly after 09:00 BST, while Nicholas Badger had his stolen on Bishopsgate around 45 minutes later.

CCTV footage showed Dean and Parkinson cycled that morning from Fitzrovia to the Regent Street area.

CCTV cameras recorded one of the attempted robberies

The court heard that Mr Grange and Alison Sanders were each stabbed in the arm by Dean.

He also stabbed self-employed courier Vladimiros Konstantinidis twice in the chest and once in the back, causing his lung to collapse.

Another man, Henry Charlton-Weedy, needed 52 stitches and was also slashed in the face and left with a severe scar running from the top of his cheekbone to his mouth.

Ms Sanders, along with William Allison and Mr Konstantinidis, made up a group who became involved in a melee during the second incident as they tried to catch the thieves, the court was told.

It was at the moment when Parkinson appeared to have been overpowered, that Dean again produced the knife he had used on Mr Grange in the first incident, the court heard.

The prosecutor said Dean could be seen in CCTV footage brandishing the knife in his hand when he came running towards the group who were fighting Parkinson.

'Violence and lawlessness'

Mr Barker said: "The group broke up as the fight became more ferocious, and Mr Dean swung the knife.

"Mr Allison was knocked to the ground by Mr Parkinson, and Mr Konsantinidis and Mr Parkinson began to grapple."

"Mr Dean then sought to return to his bicycle, pursued by Alison Sanders. As she singlehandedly sought to stop him escaping, Ms Sanders was stabbed by Mr Dean in the arm."

Judge Benedict Kelleher told Dean and Parkinson: "You acted with appalling violence."

He added that the attacks were an "example of mindless violence and utter lawlessness".

When the pair are released from prison they will serve five years on license.

Clarification 23 August 2023: This article was amended to make clear the two men received 17-year sentences, not 12-year terms as we originally reported.

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