A man who stabbed a member of staff at a central London casino has been sentenced.

Kien Ngyun, 35 (13.08.83), of Coventry Road, Tower Hamlets, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon at Southwark Crown Court on Monday, 26 November.

He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday, 10 January where he was given an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act.

Police were called at 16:50hrs on Monday, 16 July to reports of a stabbing inside a casino in Leicester Square.

Officers, the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended and found a 48-year-old man suffering from stab injuries.

He was taken to a central London hospital in a critical condition. He has since been discharged and his recovery is ongoing.

Ngyun was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. He was subsequently charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon on Tuesday, 17 July.

CCTV enquiries revealed that Ngyun entered the same casino late evening before the stabbing on Sunday, 15 July. He went onto the main gaming floor and towards one of the pits before leaving the casino. He then immediately re-entered and returned to the pit where he clapped his hands and said something to a staff member before leaving again.

At 16:42hrs on Monday, 16 July, Ngyun entered the casino and returned to the same pit where a different staff member was working. The staff member smiled at Ngyun and approached him because he thought he might have a complaint. Without warning, Ngyun then lunged at the staff member and stabbed him in the chest.

Ngyun pulled the knife, which had a 20cm blade, from a bum bag that was across his chest. The victim had never seen Ngyun prior to the incident.

Following his arrest, officers searched Ngyun’s home address and found several sheets of writing.

The notes made comments as to the fact that all casinos are stealing money from “his people” and that they should all die and that he would take over the business and give the money to charity.

At Ngyun’s sentencing on Thursday, 10 January, Judge Michael Gledhill QC summed up that this was ‘a most cowardly, vicious attack’ and added ‘how the victim did not die, I do not know.’ He concluded that if it had not been for Ngyun’s mental health, he would have received a substantial life sentence.

Detective Constable Paul Griffiths, the investigating officer from Westminster CID, said: “This was a brutal unprovoked attack on the victim who was simply just doing his job. It was extremely lucky that the victim’s injuries were not more serious, or even fatal. I hope this sentencing gives the victim a measure of comfort and closure.”