Zombie knife thug, 18, who avoided prison over terrifying road rage row is now JAILED

A thug who brandished a zombie knife at a motorist in a road rage attack has finally been sent to prison after originally walking free from court.

Joshua Gardner, 18, was caught on camera brandishing the enormous blade on a busy south London road and threatening a 19-year-old driver, who got out and ran away.

But there was fury among Londoners and many police officers when he was only given a suspended sentence for the shocking attack.

Today, three appeal judges reviewed the case and decided Gardner should have been jailed. They handed him a three and a half year prison term and he will be taken into custody in the next 24 hours.

The ruling comes after widespread public outcry over his original sentence, with serving police officers having said they were 'speechless' at how he initially managed to avoid jail. 

Ruling the original suspended sentence was 'unduly lenient' today, appeal judge Sir Brian Leveson: 'One of the challenges facing society is the common-place carrying and use of knives.'

The appeal judge continued: 'There can never be any excuse for carrying a weapon of the type which this offender carried on this day. Purported self-defence all too frequently becomes an offence and results in fatal injuries, particularly to teenage boys, almost on a daily basis.

'Public concern is obvious and inevitable. It falls to the court to demonstrate that such behaviour must result in substantial and effective custodial sentences.'  

Gardner was originally given a suspended jail term and 150 hours of community service after claiming he was scared of being kidnapped. 

It later emerged that Gardner is part of a 'drill' music gang, who rap about shootings and 'slashings' in music videos filmed in south London.





MailOnline