A drug-related assault of a man in Gravesend has resulted in one of his attackers being jailed for two-and-a-half years.
The victim of the incident in Peacock Street on Wednesday 17 June 2020 suffered serious injuries including five stab wounds to his legs, several missing teeth and numerous other cuts and bruises after being ambushed by two separate groups of men within minutes of each other.
Edison Kaculi, 28, of no fixed address, was the first offender on the scene and pushed the victim from his bicycle before repeatedly punching and kicking him.
He denied being responsible for the stabbing but pleaded guilty to attempting to wound with intent to cause grievous bodily harm prior to his sentencing at Maidstone Crown Court on Wednesday 29 June 2022.
Beaten and bloodied
Kent Police was called at around 8.55pm on the day of the incident to a report that a man was being assaulted against the shutters of a convenience store.
CCTV enquiries carried out following the attack revealed that Kaculi and two other men had arrived at the scene in a black Audi and left the victim beaten and bloodied before fleeing in the same vehicle.
Within minutes a second car pulled up and three different men continued the assault. The victim told officers afterwards that two mobile phones and £300 cash were stolen from him.
Four other men were quickly arrested and charged in relation to the attack and jailed for a total of nine years between them following a trial in December 2021.
Kaculi was identified as also being responsible but could not immediately be located despite extensive enquiries to trace his whereabouts. He was eventually arrested on Tuesday 7 December 2021 after abandoning a car that failed to stop for patrols in Gravesend.
Appalling attack
Detective Constable Dan Bister of the Chief Constable’s Crime Squad said: ‘This was an appalling attack in front of terrified members of the public that was the cause of great concern among members of the community at the time.
‘Edison Kaculi and the others involved in the incident did not appear to care whether their victim lived or died but can count themselves very lucky that he survived, despite suffering some very serious injuries that could have quite easily claimed his life.
‘There is absolutely no place for this or any other level of violence in Kent and we do not rest until those responsible are arrested and brought to justice. As Kaculi discovered, there is no hiding place from the law and we do not forget about people like him or commit such serious offences in our county.’