Wood Green machete attacker jailed

Kennedy Latigo sentenced to 30 months in prison for “shockingly violent attack” in residential street

Parkland Road and (inset) Kennedy Latigo

A man has been sentenced following a machete attack in Wood Green last year.

On 8th November at around 1.20pm, a 19-year-old man was stabbed multiple times with a machete on Parkland Road in Wood Green. His attackers fled leaving him for dead.

Officers arrived at the scene and performed life-saving first aid until medics arrived. The victim was airlifted to hospital where, following emergency surgery, his condition thankfully stabilised.

Investigating Officer Detective Constable Rachael Pagett said: “This was a shockingly violent attack that clearly intended to end the life of the victim.

“Were it not for the fast actions and first aid skills of my uniformed colleagues this could so easily have been a murder investigation. Their actions undoubtedly saved the victim’s life.”

Following the meticulous review of hours of CCTV footage and extensive enquiries, DC Pagett’s investigation identified the defendant, 28-year-old Kennedy Latigo, from Hackney.

Using mobile phone data, DC Pagett was able to place the defendant at the scene at the time of the attempted murder. She also obtained CCTV footage of him travelling both to and from the scene with a second suspect.

On 30th November, Latigo was arrested as he attempted to flee the country at Stanstead Airport.

He was taken into custody where he answered no comment to all questions. He later pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm without intent and was remanded in custody to await trial.

However, the weight of the evidence compiled against him was overwhelming. On Monday, 20th May at Wood Green Crown Court, Latigo changed his plea to guilty and was remanded in custody to await sentencing.

On Friday, 19th July he appeared at Wood Green Crown Court where he was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. Three other men arrested in connection with the incident were released with no further action.

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.