A teenager who attacked and robbed a good Samaritan as she provided directions before going on to bottle and stab a stranger in an off-licence, leaving him in a coma, has been jailed.
Abdul Rahim Sowe, now 20, of no fixed abobe, was sentenced to 18 years in jail with an additional five years on licence after pleading guilty to attempted murder and causing actual bodily harm.
On Sunday September 20, Sowe stopped his first victim on Haverstock Hill and asked her for directions to the local mosque, Blackfriars Crown Court heard,
The woman told him it was five minutes away and offered to walk with him, as she was a Muslim and going there herself.
Several minutes later, Sowe accused the woman of lying and became very abusive.
He then punched her in the face several times and as she lay on the ground he kicked her in the face repeatedly before stealing money from her purse and walking off.
Sowe then made his way to Camden High Street to buy a top-up card for a mobile phone he had bought with the stolen money.
While waiting to be served Sowe became increasingly impatient and abusive before knocking a 53-year-old male customer unconscious by repeatedly hitting him on the head with a bottle.
He then bottled him in the face before stabbing him in his face, throat and head with a pair of scissors as he lay unconcious.
An ambulance rushed the victim to hospital in a critical condition.
British Transport Police officers arrested Sowe in a nearby shop.
The victim had to spend two months in hospital undergoing extensive re-constructive surgery to his face, head and throat.
He is still being fed through a tube to his stomach due to his extensive throat injuries, police said.
Sowe pleaded guilty to one count of attempted murder and one charge of ABH at Blackfriars Crown Court on Tuesday.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said : “He pleaded guilty due to the overwhelming, forensic and CCTV footage evidence against him. “
After watching CCTV footage of the off-licence attack, Judge Peter Clarke said “This is the most extreme violence I have seen recorded in my 43 years at the bar, I have not seen anything like it.”
Det Con Sham Razzak, from Camden Community Safety Unit, said: “Sowe embarked on a campaign of violence and rage against two perfect strangers who did him no harm. His first victim was attacked as she guided him to a place of worship whilst the second victim spent two months in hospital and is still being fed through a tube - through his stomach - due to the extensive injuries he suffered in his throat. Sowe has a long time now to think about his actions in jail.”
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