A man has been sentenced to life in prison after launching a brutal knife attack that left his victim fighting for his life in Reading.
Rashane Odle-Mcleod, 23, of Winnersh, was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on 15 December to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 17 years and four months. A jury unanimously found him guilty of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place following a trial in October.
The court heard that Odle-Mcleod carried out a calculated and “frenzied” stabbing on the Kennet Walk estate earlier this year.
On 9 April, Odle-Mcleod travelled to the area armed with a knife, knowing his intended victim—a man in his 20s—was nearby. He waited for several hours, watching the area for an opportunity to attack.
Shortly after 9pm, the victim entered a dark alleyway, where Odle-Mcleod followed and launched a savage assault. He stabbed the man more than a dozen times across his body and face, continuing the attack even after the victim collapsed to the ground, helpless.
Police said Odle-Mcleod showed no restraint, continuing to strike while the victim lay injured. After the attack, he searched the victim’s pockets, stole his mobile phone, and fled the scene.
Although Odle-Mcleod was acquitted of perverting the course of justice, the jury’s guilty verdicts on attempted murder and knife possession resulted in a mandatory life sentence.
Thames Valley Police said the investigation highlighted the extreme danger posed by knife crime and praised officers for securing justice in what they described as a deeply violent and premeditated attack.
