Man jailed after serious assault leaves victim blind

A man who seriously assaulted another in a city street has pleaded guilty at Leicester Crown Court on Friday (14 January).

During the early hours of Tuesday 20 July last year officers were called to the Belgrave Gate area after a report of a fight involving a number of people.

When officers arrived, they found a 21-year-old man with serious stab wounds to his chest, the weapon narrowly missed his heart and he lost more than five pints of blood. 

Shortly after the incident Tadiwanashe Matemadombo, 22, of Grantham Street, Coventry, was arrested and charged the following day.

At crown court on Friday Matemadombo (pictured) pleaded guilty to Section 18 wounding and possession of bladed article. 

At a previous hearing he pleaded guilty to possession of cannabis.  He was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison. 

Detective Constable James Collins was the investigating officer, he said: “The knife narrowly missed the victim’s vital organs and he was revived at the scene.  Unfortunately, following the incident he has lost the sight in his eyes so the long-term impact on his life is significant.

“This was an extremely violent attack, witnessed by many people in a public area. 

“We, the Crown Prosecution Service and the courts take knife crime extremely seriously and will all in our powers to bring people to justice.

“Our commitment to tackling knife crime is ongoing.   We aim to educate people on the dangers and consequences of carrying knives and also provide support and advice to those who know a knife carrier and for parents, carers and bystanders to be able to spot the signs.”

For further details about our Lives not Knives campaign visit https://www.leics.police.uk/police-forces/leicestershire-police/areas/leicestershire-force-content/c/campaigns/2019/knife-crime/