A man and woman who targeted a drunken man in a robbery so brutal it left the street soaked with blood have been jailed for six years apiece.
James Sanderson, 29, and Juleishah Walker, 25, pleaded guilty to the “sickening” attack which saw their 36-year-old victim beaten to the ground and kicked in the head.
In April, he staggered into City Supermarket in Central Street, Finsbury, at 2.20am covered in blood from serious head and face injuries.
Pool
He told staff at the shop he had been drinking and couldn’t remember what had happened to him, so they called police.
CCTV footage showed the bleeding victim struggling to walk as he approached the store.
Officers found a pool of blood next to a lift in a block of flats in the nearby King Square estate, with a trail leading up a stairwell along with a bloody footprint.
Further camera footage showed a female suspect with the victim in Central Street in the early hours before taking him back to the block of flats.
Once inside the block, a male suspect punched the victim and beat him to the ground before the woman went through his pockets.
The man then picked up the victim’s bag before delivering a final kick to the head.
Police used fingerprints on a wine bottle found at the scene to track the attackers to Camden Town where they were arrested – Walker had the victim’s phone and was wearing the same clothes as in the CCTV footage.
Det Supt Mark Attridge said: “This was a violent premeditated attack on a man who was just out for the evening in Islington enjoying himself.
“The sickening images captured on CCTV showed a disproportionate amount of violence used that was truly harrowing.
“I would like to offer my thanks to the victim in this matter who has provided his full support to the investigating team through what has been a very difficult time and wish him a speedy recovery.
“I am extremely proud of the hard work of all the officers at Islington and in particular the detective team in quickly removing these two violent individuals from the streets of London.”
Sanderson, of no fixed address, and Walker, of Arlington Road, Camden, pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of crack cocaine at Blackfriars Crown Court on June 18.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here