A man has been jailed after stabbing a stranger in the head near Highgate Hill, leaving the victim with life-changing injuries.
Richard Sivanda, 23, of Highgate Hill, was sentenced to 27 years in prison at Snaresbrook Crown Court on April 17.
Police were called just before 10.30pm on Saturday, February 15, 2025, after a 20-year-old man arrived at hospital with serious head injuries.
Earlier that evening, Sivanda approached the victim and his girlfriend as they walked along Highgate Hill towards Highgate Tube station.
They did not know him.
Sivanda accused the victim of being linked to a rival gang and a 2021 murder, despite there being no evidence.
After the couple walked away, he chased them and attacked the victim with a weapon.
He then fled, leaving the victim critically injured.
The man managed to reach hospital and received life-saving treatment, but was left with permanent brain damage and now lives in assisted care.
CCTV footage placed him at the scene before and after the attack, and he was arrested at his home less than 30 hours later.
Officers also found a video in which Sivanda appeared to boast about the attack, wrongly claiming he had killed the victim.
Sivanda had admitted causing serious harm and was later found guilty of attempted murder by a jury.
Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Alger, who led the Met’s investigation, said: “Our thoughts are with the victim of this heinous attack. A victim of mistaken identity, this case shows how gang violence can spill out further onto our streets.
“Sivanda was particularly brazen in his conduct, going as far as to brag on social media of the attack and the lasting damage he caused.
"Thankfully, our detective work has seen him put behind bars.
“Our mission to eradicate this kind of violence is having an impact, with the number of people hospitalised after being stabbed falling by 29 per cent in the last five years.
"This represents promising progress, but we remain focused on driving down serious violence across London.”
