Canadian men jailed for City of London hotel stabbing

Two Canadian nationals, Jermaine Blackstock, 41, and Kamara Lewis, 27, have been sentenced at the Old Bailey for their part in a stabbing incident at a City of London hotel. The attack, which left a man with life-threatening injuries, began as a drug deal on Pepys Street. The victim suffered stab wounds to his chest and abdomen.

The incident occurred around 11:30pm on November 22 last year. Blackstock and Lewis had flown into Heathrow Airport and checked into the hotel earlier that day. They returned to their room accompanied by two other men, leading to a loud commotion overheard by another guest. This guest alerted hotel reception after seeing a man with a large kitchen knife in the corridor.

The injured man and his companion were later found outside the hotel. CCTV footage showed the victim staggering out of the main entrance clutching his stomach. City of London Police officers searched the hotel room and discovered 15 vacuum-packed packages of cannabis in a suitcase and on a desk, along with approximately £5,000 in cash. Canadian passports belonging to Blackstock and Lewis were also found.

Images of the two men were circulated, and Blackstock was later arrested in Birmingham. He initially stated the incident was self-defence and claimed he was unaware cannabis was illegal in the UK, as it is legal in Canada. Blackstock pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and possession with intent to supply class B drugs. He was sentenced to five years in prison.

Lewis was taken into custody after leaving the Canadian High Commission building. He pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply class B drugs and received a 27-month prison sentence.

Detective Constable Shaun Turner of the Major Crime Team stated that the swift actions of a witness and hotel staff in alerting emergency services were crucial in the victim receiving urgent medical treatment that saved his life. He added that detectives rapidly identified and located those responsible, using CCTV and evidence left at the hotel, including passports, to secure arrests and bring them before the courts.