Brighton man pleads guilty to 'violent' convenience store stabbing
Ryan McLean went on the run for two months after attacking his victim with a pair of scissors
Last updated 7th Jun 2022
A Brighton man who repeatedly stabbed a man with a pair of scissors, then went on the run for more than two months, has pleaded guilty in court.
39-year-old Ryan McLean carried out the attack at Rishi News in South Street at around midday on February 27th, leaving his 29-year-old victim with serious injuries.
The incident was entirely captured on CCTV.
McLean subsequently went missing until April 29th, leading to a manhunt from Sussex Police to bring him into custody, including a £3,000 reward offered by the charity Crimestoppers for information leading to his arrest.
He was arrested in Liverpool with the assistance of Merseyside Police on Friday, April 29, charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and remanded in custody.
McLean pleaded guilty to both charges at Lewes Crown Court on May 26th.
He will be sentenced on July 15th, at a court to be confirmed.
Detective Inspector Neil Phillips of Sussex Police said:
“This was a brazen, violent attack carried out in the middle of the day with complete disregard for the general public.
“Not only did McLean leave his victim with horrific injuries – which could easily have been tragically worse – he fled hundreds of miles in an attempt to escape facing justice.
“Thanks to the tenacity of our officers, staff and partners in Merseyside Police, we were able to bring him into custody, where the overwhelming evidence left him with no choice but to plead guilty to his crimes.”