Man, 20, left needing 50 stitches after argument over a woman - knifeman jailed for ten years

A jealous one-eared thug who slashed open man’s face in an argument over a girl has been jailed for ten years.

During the horrific attack 25-year-old Anthony Kenny grabbed his victim from behind and cut him open from mouth to ear leaving him needing 50 stitches.

Kenny, of Island Apartments, off Basire Street, Islington, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent and was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court yesterday.

On August 22 last year, the 20-year-old victim and his girlfriend were enjoying a drink friends at a pub in Green Lanes, Newington Green, when a woman came up and stared to talking to him.

Kenny, who was the woman’s ex-boyfriend, joined them and got angry that she was speaking to another man. The woman left the bar with Kenny and went outside.

Seconds later the knifeman stormed back in, grabbed his victim from behind and slashed him across his face, causing a deep cut from his ear to his mouth. He took another swipe at him and cut him on the head above his ear, before running away.

After being on the run for more than a month, police tracked Kenny down and arrested him in Birmingham,

Act Det Sgt Sophie Watson, from Islington CID, said: “This was a particularly violent and unprovoked attack on a young man enjoying a drink with his girlfriend.

“His horrific injuries will leave him with a constant reminder of the attack but I hope that the sentence today will bring him closure and enable him to move on with the support of his family and friends.

“At the sentencing, the judge said that Kenny posed a serious risk to the public. Thanks to the courageous victim, we have now removed that risk and the public are safer as a result.

“The Metropolitan Police Service will not tolerate knife crime and we will work tirelessly to combat it to make sure people in Islington, and indeed London, remain safe.”

Officers searching Kenny’s home found 13 cannabis plants.

He was also sentenced to two months in prison, to run concurrently, for the cultivation of cannabis which he had also pleaded guilty to.