A man who brutally stabbed a young dad to death for his watch has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve at least 35 years.
Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 26, of The Brent, Dartford, had previously been found guilty of murdering 31-year-old Danny Pearce following a three week trial at the Old Bailey.
The court heard how Danny, aged 31, was walking with his girlfriend and two friends to a parked car in King William Walk, SE10.
They had left a Jazz Club in Nevada Street on Saturday, 15 July 2017, when at 00:15hrs, Danny was confronted by two men; one of the men was Bailey-Mascoll.
The pair demanded Danny’s Rolex watch and when he refused he was chased, stabbed repeatedly and shot at by the robbers, with the whole attack witnessed by his terrified friends and partner.
Danny, who has a five-year-old daughter, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards despite efforts of paramedics and police to save him.
Footage shown in court showed Bailey-Mascoll and his accomplice picking out their target. The pillion passenger is seen raising his arm to point back at Danny, clearly alerting his accomplice they have found a potential victim to prey upon.
Moments after he refused to surrender his Rolex, Bailey-Mascoll produced a large knife and began chasing Danny, whilst the second man shot in his direction as Danny ran for his life.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple stabbings, but police also found gunshot grazing and evidence of at least four shots fired in Danny’s direction as he attempted to flee.
Following a painstaking investigation by the Homicide and Major Crime Command, Bailey-Mascoll was arrested on Thursday, 30 November and charged on 1 December.
Investigating officer Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway said: “The level of violence used against Danny was truly horrendous and the length of time over which they carried out the attack – up to two minutes – marks it out as the most sustained random stabbing attack I’ve seen in my 26 years in the police service.
“Danny had sought help at a nearby address, but he was cornered and shown no pity. Danny was repeatedly stabbed as he lay collapsed on the steps of a stranger’s house. It was only when his girlfriend shouted out that she’d give them Danny’s watch, that they stopped their remorseless attack. Without a hint of compassion they grabbed the Rolex and fled the scene.
“The family who lived at the address opened the door to a dying young man, the trauma of that night cannot be imagined. Some witnesses who ran from the scene thought it was a terrorist attack, due to its ferocity. It is sickening that such prolonged, lethal violence against a defenceless man, with a family, was done only for a wristwatch.
“Although one man has been convicted, we are still keen to trace the stolen watch. The model was a Silver Rolex Datejust 2 2017, worth around £5,000.
“Do you work in a shop perhaps and remember seeing such an item offered for sale? Or maybe you bought such a watch in good faith from an internet dealer? It is an important part of this investigation, which remains ongoing.”
A 21-year-old man also arrested in connection with Danny’s murder, remains released under investigation.
Danny’s Mother, Jan Pearce, aged 63, released the following statement: “Danny was randomly murdered in Greenwich.
“He left behind a family who loved him unconditionally, including two sisters and a brother. But it is not only us as adults suffering – Danny’s nieces and nephews are grieving and it hurts them in different ways. How do you answer a child when they ask where Uncle Danny is?
“We need to get these murderers off the street – who knows who will be next and then another family will go through the same devastation as us.
“I don’t want another mum to go through this agony. I need to know those responsible will be locked up for a very long time.”
Bailey-Mascoll also pleaded guilty to a robbery that occurred on the 13 July 2017 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison to run concurrently.
