<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A man found guilty of a "savage and brutal" stabbing of an 11-year-old </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australian"><span>Australian</span></a><span> girl on holiday in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/london" rel="" target="_blank" title="London"><span>London</span></a><span> has been sentenced, potentially indefinitely.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Ioan-Alexandru Pintaru, a 33-year-old homeless man, randomly stabbed the girl as she left the LEGO store at Leicester Square on August 12 last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He stabbed her as he held her in a headlock, leaving her with wounds to the eye, neck, chest and shoulder, leaving her with serious injuries.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>LIVE UPDATES:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/bondi-beach-shooting-live-updates-accused-gunman-awakes-from-coma-patients-still-in-hospital/f169640a-35c4-4614-a0e6-aa9bf1b3b676" target="_blank"><strong><span>Investigators working with Philippines over accused shooters' trip; alleged gunman wakes from coma</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The mother of the girl later said in court that Pintaru attacked her daughter "like a jackhammer, repeatedly stabbing."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"[He] was wide-eyed and manic like nothing was going to stop him," she added.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pintaru was later diagnosed as schizophrenic, but claimed he believed people were trying to kill him, and that he did not intend to hurt anyone.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/ioan-alexandru-pintaru-charged-london-stabbing-australian-girl/3f687144-2bce-4690-8bd4-1aa03b3e8cf8" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>He was arrested at the scene by responding </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="_blank" title="police"><span>police</span></a><span> officers, who were assisted by a security guard who helped kick the knife out of Pintaru's hands.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/cash-mandate-australia-what-is-it--explained/26e04d51-c6fd-4e47-8ade-4a802a97bbc0" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Cash mandate for Aussie businesses just weeks away</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Pintaru was charged with, and later convicted of, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a bladed article after pleading guilty to both counts in October.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>On Tuesday, he was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with an additional restriction order under Section 41.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>This means he could be detained indefinitely.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The violence of the attack was particularly shocking, according to police.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"It was a savage and brutal attack that left the city in shock," Detective Constable Laura Nicoll said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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