Stabbing suspect found under a bed and her accomplice jailed for 10 years
The attack left a 66-year-old man with multiple injuries
A woman who was found hiding under a bed in north London after plotting an attack on a partner, along with the man who carried out the stabbing, have each been jailed for 10 years, police have said.
Leah Campbell-Knechtel, 28, of no fixed address and Jawad Naser, 47, of Cambridge Gardens, Muswell Hill, were both convicted of grievous bodily harm on a 66-year-old man after trial.
Both were sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment at the Old Bailey last Friday.
The Metropolitan Police has now released body-worn video showing officers armed with Tasers entering a Muswell Hill address on January 20, two days after the attack.
The officers found Campbell-Knechtel hiding underneath a mattress in one of the bedrooms.
Officers were first called to a flat in Islington just after 7pm on January 18, where Naser had stabbed a 66-year-old man multiple times.
Police said the attack was sparked over a money dispute, as the victim was said to have given Campbell-Knechtel thousands of pounds during an apparent relationship.
On the day of the attack, he had also given her cash, and when he demanded the money back an argument broke out.
When she returned to the flat to “make peace”, she allowed Naser to enter and passed him a kitchen knife to attack the victim with, the force said.
Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Alger, of the Met’s Central North Criminal Investigation Department, said: “Campbell-Knechtel thought she could dodge justice by hiding under a bed, but our officers were right on her trail.
“This was a savage knife attack by Naser that left the victim with life-changing injuries.
“Less than 48 hours after the attack, officers had pieced together the evidence, tracked down the suspects, and put them in custody. Now they’re exactly where they belong – behind bars.
“Campbell-Knechtel may not have wielded the knife herself, but she lured the victim into a false sense of security and made the attack possible. The sentences recognise that her role was every bit as serious.”
The victim was left with life-threatening injuries that required emergency surgery.
Naser was found just four hours after the attack where bloodstained trainers were recovered which formed part of the evidence at trial, police said.
Naser and Campbell-Knechtel were found not guilty of attempted murder, but guilty of grievous bodily harm by a jury after trial.