A THUG who stabbed an undercover police officer after accusing him of looking at his girlfriend is facing a long prison sentence.

Andrew Beadie, of Claremont Road, Basildon, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent after stabbing the officer in an alleyway near the Bow Bells Public House in Bow Road, East London, on November 22.

The 20-year-old was with his partner - a 34-year-old woman - and her two 16-year-old twin sons when they took a short trip from Devons Road to Bow Church using the DLR.

Just before 9pm, Beadie accosted a man in Bow Road and punched him to the ground. The incident was captured on CCTV but the victim has never been found.

About 20 minutes later, Beadie and the others entered an alleyway next to the Bow Bells pub where he started speaking to a plain clothes officer attached to the Met’s Specialist Crime and Operations squad.

Having accused the officer of looking at his girlfriend, Beadie produced a large knife and repeatedly stabbed him in the abdomen before running off.

The officer suffered three stab wounds and colleagues administered first aid until paramedics arrived and took him to hospital.

When Beadie was arrested a week later his mobile phone was seized. On it was an image of a knife taken two days after the stabbing. Detectives believe this was the same weapon used to attack the officer, but the knife has never been recovered.

Echo:

Det Chief Insp Gary Holmes, of the Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This was a cowardly, unprovoked and sickening knife attack on a police officer.

"We will never know quite what motivated Beadie to embark upon a series of violent assaults that night, but throughout his interview with police and his evidence to the jury he has shown not a shred of genuine remorse.

“He would not have known that the victim of his final act of violence that night was a police officer and it is just sheer luck that the injuries he sustained were not life threatening.

"The knife had a 10-inch blade and was a terrifying weapon. There can be no doubt Beadie intended to cause abject fear that night and serious harm.

“He can expect a significant custodial sentence, and this should act as a timely reminder of the consequences of carrying a knife on the streets of London. Those who continue to cause harm to our communities through these actions will be targeted by the Metropolitan Police Service and be put before the courts."

Janine Morris, 24, of Rainhill Way, Bow was also charged with attempted murder, two counts of affray and assisting an offender but the case was dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service.

No further action was taken against a 17-year-old male youth and two 16 year-old boys arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

No further action was taken against a 20-year-old man arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.

Beadie was found not guilty of possession of an offensive weapon but guilty of common assault against an unidentified member of the public.

He will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 16 June.