Jail looms for knife killer

A killer who knifed a rival to death in a busy park before fleeing to Paris on the Eurostar is facing years behind bars.

Mario Te, 21, plunged a knife into the chest of Bradley Quaresma, 20, following a row in Stratford, east London on 21 July 2016.

Witnesses, including a pensioner relaxing on a park bench, saw him strike the single blow holding the weapon in his clenched fist.

Members of the public, including a trained nurse, rushed to Mr Quaresma’s aid, before an air ambulance arrived.

But despite the best efforts of medics who battled to save his life, the victim was pronounced dead just before 3.40pm.

Te caught a train from St Pancras international station the following morning, but was arrested in Paris and returned to the UK within 24 hours of the stabbing.

He insisted he was acting in self-defence during his Old Bailey trial.

Te was cleared of murder but convicted of the alternative charge of manslaughter by a jury after more than 12 hours of deliberations.

During the trial, jurors were shown CCTV footage of a topless Te throwing his knife into a bush as he fled West Ham Lane Recreation Ground.

One eyewitness, who was walking through the park on the afternoon of 21 July last year, saw a group of black Portuguese youths.

One was holding a knife in his right fist raised above his shoulder, he said.

Prosecutor Alan Kent QC said: ‘Suddenly, the male with the knife hit the other one in what the witness describes as a downward motion with the knife going into the chest of the other one.

‘The person who had been stabbed then dropped to the ground and the one who was holding the knife appeared to freeze, perhaps in shock.

‘He then turned and walked away before picking up the pace and running towards an alleyway.’

A retired man witnessed a similar scene before running to the victim’s assistance, while police were alerted at around 3.15pm.

‘Police officers arrived very quickly, while a medical team, including a doctor, arrived by helicopter,’ said the prosecutor.

‘They did all they could to try to save his life but unfortunately, despite all of their efforts, Bradley’s life could not be saved and he was pronounced dead at the scene just before 3.40 that afternoon.’

Te, of no fixed address, was remanded in custody ahead of sentence on Friday (10).
ENDS