A MAN who knifed an 11-year-old girl out shopping for Lego with her mum in Leicester Square has been detained in a mental hospital.

Ioan-Alexandru Pintaru, 33, was tackled and disarmed by a hero security guard following the horrific attack before officers detained him. He was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a bladed article after pleading guilty to both counts on October 3.

A security guard, named as “Abdullah,” 30, who was working in a nearby teashop, said: “It was a purely selfless and instinctive response, driven by a sense of responsibility to help someone in danger. I’m grateful that this was acknowledged and that the child is safe.” He had grabbed Pintaru’s hand and disarmed him, kicking the knife out of his reach.

The girl, an Australian tourist, was leaving the toy shop with her mother on August 12 2024 when she was attacked by Pintaru.

He stabbed her as he held her in a headlock, leaving her with injuries to her eye, neck, chest, and shoulder. Her mother said Pintaru attacked her daughter “like a jackhammer, repeatedly stabbing”, and that he “was wide-eyed and manic, like nothing was going to stop him”.

A passing nurse tended to the girl’s wounds and police arrived within four minutes of getting a call.

Pintaru, later diagnosed as schizophrenic, said he believed people were trying to kill him but said he did not intend to harm anyone. At the Old Bailey on Tuesday he was sentenced to a hospital order under the Mental Health Act with an additional restriction order.

Police said that this meant he could be detained indefinitely.

Detective Constable Laura Nicoll, of the Metropolitan Police Service specialist crime team, who led the investigation, said: “The girl was leaving the Lego store in Leicester Square with her mum after buying presents for her family, while visiting the city on holiday. This innocent scene was shattered when Ioan-Alexandru Pintaru violently stabbed her with a knife. It was a savage and brutal attack that left the city in shock.

“But following the most appalling scene, we also saw the best of London; a security guard who raced from his post without a thought for his own safety, the off-duty nurse who tended to the little girl’s wounds. Without them she might not be alive today. The guard was commended by the court, and we would like to add to our sincere admiration for his selfless act. This happened in the very heart of London. We continue to work tirelessly to prevent further violence on our streets.”