A robber who brutally stabbed a young dad to death for his watch has been sentenced to life in prison.

Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 26, had been found guilty at the Old Bailey of murdering 31-year-old Danny Pearce, and will serve at least 35 years behind bars.

The court heard how Mr Pearce, aged 31, was walking with his girlfriend and two friends to a parked car in King William Walk in Greenwich.

They had left a Jazz Club in Nevada Street shortly after midnight on July 15 last year when Mr Pearce was confronted by two men.

The pair demanded Mr Pearce's Rolex watch and when he refused he was chased, stabbed repeatedly and shot at by the robbers, with the horrific attack witnessed by his terrified friends and partner.

Mr Pearce, from Bromley, who had a five-year-old daughter, was pronounced dead at the scene shortly afterwards despite efforts of paramedics and police to save him.

Footage shown in court showed Bailey-Mascoll and his accomplice picking out their target.

The pillion passenger is seen raising his arm to point back at Mr Pearce, alerting his accomplice to a potential victim.

Moments after he refused to surrender his Rolex, Bailey-Mascoll produced a large knife and began chasing Mr Pearce, while the second man shot in his direction as he ran for his life.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple stabbings, but police also found gunshot grazing and evidence of at least four shots fired in Mr Pearce's direction as he attempted to flee.

Bailey-Mascoll, of The Brent, Dartford, was arrested on November 30 and charged on the following day.

News Shopper: Floral tributes lie at the scene in King William Walk in Greenwich, London, where a 31-year-old man was stabbed to death following an attempted mugging. Photo: SWNS

Floral tributes at the scene in King William Walk. Photo: SWNS

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway said: "The level of violence used against Danny was truly horrendous and the length of time over which they carried out the attack - up to two minutes - marks it out as the most sustained random stabbing attack I've seen in my 26 years in the police service.

"Danny had sought help at a nearby address, but he was cornered and shown no pity.

"Danny was repeatedly stabbed as he lay collapsed on the steps of a stranger's house. It was only when his girlfriend shouted out that she'd give them Danny's watch, that they stopped their remorseless attack.

"Without a hint of compassion they grabbed the Rolex and fled the scene.

“The family who lived at the address opened the door to a dying young man, the trauma of that night cannot be imagined.

"Some witnesses who ran from the scene thought it was a terrorist attack, due to its ferocity.

"It is sickening that such prolonged, lethal violence against a defenceless man, with a family, was done only for a wristwatch."

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Police still want to trace the stolen watch. The model was a Silver Rolex Datejust 2 2017, worth around £5,000.

Meanwhile, a 21-year-old man who was also arrested in connection with Mr Pearce's murder, remains released under investigation.

Mr Pearce's mother Jan Pearce, aged 63, released the following statement: "He left behind a family who loved him unconditionally, including two sisters and a brother. But it is not only us as adults suffering - Danny's nieces and nephews are grieving and it hurts them in different ways. How do you answer a child when they ask where Uncle Danny is?

"We need to get these murderers off the street - who knows who will be next and then another family will go through the same devastation as us.

"I don't want another mum to go through this agony. I need to know those responsible will be locked up for a very long time."

Bailey-Mascoll also pleaded guilty to a robbery committed two days before the murder and was sentenced to 18 years in prison to run concurrently.