(posted 7594 days ago)South London Press
News11 years for gang attack
Jul 11 2003By Court Reporter
A MEMBER of a ruthless Chinese "Snakehead" gang has been jailed for 11 years for hacking a rival with a razor sharp Samurai sword.
Victim Cai Xiang Xie, 25, was left with his arm hanging off his body and was lucky to survive after seven hours of surgery.
Swordsman Gui Chen, 42, wept last week as Judge Anthony Morris, QC, described his actions as a "savage" and "vicious" attack.
The judge said: "It is hard to imagine a worse case of wounding with intent."
The Old Bailey heard how Chen and a gang of Snakeheads attacked Mr Xie with machetes and meat cleavers after chasing him down a Kennington street.
The victim had earlier ticked off Chen for shouting while he was trying to watch a football match on a huge screen in a West End casino.
Chen was incensed because he believed Mr Xie had "disrespected" him, and organised a gang to carry out a revenge attack.
The victim was chased by the gang and knocked to the ground where he was repeatedly struck with the weapons.
Chen and the others only fled the scene after being scared by a barking dog, the court heard.
Mr Xie's horrific injuries included a severed knee cap which needed 200 staples, as well as a virtually severed elbow joint.
Chen originally denied taking part in the attack, but just minutes before Mr Xie was due to give evidence at the Old Bailey trial, he admitted his involvement.
Chen, of D'Eynsford Road, Camberwell, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.
A charge of conspiracy to murder, which he denied, was left on file.