A VIOLENT man has been locked up indefinitely for a ferocious knife attack which saw him kill a stranger in London.
Following a hearing at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, February 1, 27-year-old Tedi Fanta Hagos, of Ravenhill, Swansea, was found to have fatally stabbed Stephen Dempsey in a random, unprovoked knife attack in central London.
The court heard how Hagos launched what is described as “a ferocious assault” on unsuspecting Mr Dempsey, 60, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, in Oxford Circus on July 1, 2021.
Mr Dempsey, who was born in Belfast but had lived in Essex since he was a child, sustained four stab wounds during the attack.
He was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Officers who began enquiries to establish what had happened quickly discovered that the Irishman was “completely innocent and had been attacked apparently at random while out sightseeing”.
Hagos was arrested at the scene and taken into custody.
CCTV enquiries further revealed that two men had bravely intervened during the attack, striking Hagos with their skateboards in a bid to stop him.
Sadly, despite their intervention, Mr Dempsey’s injuries were too great.
The motive for the attack has never been established.
At yesterday’s hearing the judge ordered that Hagos be detained indefinitely in a secure hospital under the Mental Health Act.
Tedi Fanta Hagos was found to have fatally stabbed Stephen DempseyFollowing the outcome, Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Grogan, senior investigating officer, said: "My heart goes out to Stephen's family, especially his mother, who lost him in such terrible circumstances.
"While I know there is precious little comfort in the wake of this awful story, I hope they will take solace knowing that people tried to help Stephen when he so needed it.
“Those two brave members of the public should know how greatly their actions were and are appreciated by Stephen's family.”
He added: “The Judge formally recognised their actions and two other member of the public with commendations for their bravery.
"I would also like to thank my team of detectives, who were absolutely determined to obtain Stephen's family justice."
