A man has been jailed for seven years for his part in a brutal and unprovoked assault on a woman.
Diprash Shakya, 23, from Windsor Crescent, in Wembley, was one of three men to be jailed following the attack on the woman, who received serious head injuries.
He was described as the main assailant and jailed for seven years for attempting to wound with intent to do grievous bodily harm on a female, and three years for violent disorder - the sentences will run concurrently.
The attack happened in the early hours of December 23 2013 when Shakya left a Soho restaurant with a group of mainly Nepalese friends at 1.15am. One female was in his group.
She became aware that a man had put his hand in her bag and she felt that something had been taken out and told her friends, the court heard.
Other members of the group chased down the man, catching him in Phoenix Street and knocking him to the ground, where he was kicked and punched.
An off-duty policeman intervened and managed to get the group away from the beaten man before administering First Aid.
But the group then went around the corner and assaulted a woman. Witnesses described the attack as “ferocious” and one thought the victim had been left for dead.
The off-duty officer heard the woman scream, found her and managed to detain one of the group after a brief chase. Other members of the gang were detained by security staff and police with help from members of the public.
During this time, the man who had been assaulted made off.
Two other men involved in the first attack were also jailed. They are Nahakul Thapa, 19, from Little Strand, NW9, and Rabrindra Giri, 25, from south-east London.
They were both found guilty of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm on a male, and violent disorder, and received sentences of four and five years respectively. All three men must also pay a victim surcharge of £120.
Detective Constable Steph Barron, Camden Major Crime Unit, said: “The attack on the woman was a vicious, unprovoked assault which left her very traumatised and will take her a long time to fully recover. The physical damage may have repaired but the mental scars remain.
“I am happy that her assailant has been given a substantial prison sentence and also that others of the same group have also been incarcerated for an unjustified attack on the male victim.”
They were sentenced after pleading not guilty at Blackfriars Crown Court on February 19.
