Zombie Knife Attacker Jailed After Appeal

“I think it sends a very clear message to people who choose to carry weapons of this nature that this will not be tolerated.”

He added: “Knives are weapons of injury and death, and they must not be carried by people without a lawful permit.”

The incident occurred last year when a 19-year-old man was sitting in his car in stationary traffic in Croydon, and Gardener, who was aged 17 at the time, pulled up alongside him on a bike. 

As the man tried to pull away and overtake the stationary traffic in front of him, he almost made contact with Gardner’s push bike. 

He then drove on the wrong side of the road in an attempt to get away and crashed into an oncoming vehicle and a van. This led to Gardner abandoning his push bike and running towards the man’s car, producing a large “zombie” style knife which he had taken from the right hand side of his trouser waistband. 

Gardner then hit the rear driver’s side door of the car with the knife repeatedly. He attempted to gain access by pulling at the rear driver’s side door and then went round to the nearside of the vehicle. 

He continued to aim kicks and knife blows at the car, hitting the front passenger window with the blade, smashing it, and causing the man to exit his vehicle in a panic and flee down the road. 

The incident was witnessed by several members of the public, with Gardner’s outburst of violence caught on the dash-cam footage of a vehicle that was travelling in the opposite direction.