A VICIOUS teenage thug who left two of his many victims for dead has been locked up for 21 years and told he will not walk free until he is safe to be released.

Eric Cantona Brophy, 18, of St Mary’s Road, Southend, was told the length of his sentence reflected his substantial and violent record.

Brophy’s violent crimes included stabbings and other knife attacks in Southend and throwing hot water over a fellow inmate, while in prison awaiting trial.

Sentencing Brophy to 21 years in a young offenders’ institution for 13 violent crimes committed between June and November last year, Judge John Lodge told him: “You will not be released until the parole board is convinced you no longer pose a danger to the public.”

In June, Brophy attacked Leon Calvin, in Prittlewell Chase, Southend, as he made his way home from a nightclub. Brophy hid in an alleyway with an accomplice, jumped out and stabbed Mr Calvin in the stomach.

The wounded victim stumbled along the road and into a bush, where he called an ambulance.

Brophy and the other man sought him out and stole his phone and money before paramedics arrived.

Less than a fortnight later, a 16- year-old needed 23 staples to a head wound after Brophy attacked him with a piece of broken glass at a hostel in Southchurch Road, Southend.

On July 10, Brophy, and two others, tried to rob a group of 14 to 16- year-olds of their phones in Chase Park, Westcliff, slashing two of them across the face with a knife.

Of this attack, prosecutor Peter Gair said: “You can imagine the impact of this on the teenagers, just before the start of the school summer holidays.”

Have-a-go hero Kaz Salih, 18, witnessed the attack and ordered Brophy to return the youngsters’ phones.

The next day, Brophy and others found Mr Salih and repeatedly stabbed him, leaving him for dead in Fairfax Drive, Westcliff. As Brophy ran away, he slashed bystander Eddie Lawrence across the face.

Brophy admitted wounding and robbery charges brought in connection with the Southend attacks.

In December he denied attempted murder over the attack on Mr Salih, and the jury failed to reach a verdict.

As Brophy was sentenced, it emerged while awaiting trial in Chelmsford Prison for the Southend attacks in November, he had attacked a fellow inmate.

Brophy poured “nearly boiling”

water on the prisoner, who had to be treated in the burns unit at Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

Brophywas also sentenced for an attack on another inmate in June 2013, while doing time in Warren Hill Young Offenders’ Institution, Suffolk, for previous offences.

As sentence was passed on Friday, a relative of one of the victims called out “thank you, judge”.