The girlfriend of a man who was stabbed to death by moped muggers for his £7,000 Rolex watch said she thought his killers were joking when they first tried to rob them.
Stephanie Holland and her partner Danny Pearce had just left a jazz club in Greenwich, south London when he was set upon by two thugs on a moped.
One of the killers, Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, was yesterday jailed for life and ordered to serve 35 years behind bars.
Ms Holland has now spoken of the night she lost the boyfriend she described as ‘charismatic, big-hearted and charming’.
Stephanie Holland has spoken of the night her boyfriend Danny Pearce was knifed to death by moped muggers for his watch as they walked through south-east London together
Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 26, has been jailed for murdering Mr Pearce for this this £7,000 Rolex
The 31-year-old said she was in a good mood after a night playing pool with Mr Pearce and thought the two men on the moped were joking when rode up to them.
She told The Sun: ‘I actually laughed. They looked like caricatures of criminals, as if they were in fancy dress and this was some sort of comedy set-up.’
But she soon realised the pair were serious when one of them fired a gun and she ran away but realised Mr Pearce was not with her.
She turned around to see the muggers stabbing him ;not just once but continuously’, and managed to get Danny’s watch in a bid to stop the attack.
She added: ‘I tried to cover his wounds – they were on his side, neck, everywhere. I remember just thinking, “don’t die”. Danny didn’t say anything.’
While CCTV helped police track down and convict Bailey-Mascoll, the other man, who was named only as ‘Ghost’ has never been found.
Mr Pearce’s mother Jan yesterday urged the public to help police bring him to justice.
She said ‘There is another offender out there that also needs to be found. He had as much involvement as Jordan Bailey-Mascoll. He is very dangerous and also need to be put behind bars.
‘If anyone out there knows anything please contact the police so both men are punished for taking away our Danny just for wearing a watch on a night out.’
Danny Pearce was with his girlfriend Stephanie Holland after a night out when he was attacked
Mr Pearce’s mother Jan (left) and his sister Amanda (right) have pleaded for help in finding his other killer, who is still at large
Bailey-Mascoll and the other man, wearing balaclavas and armed with a knife and a gun, had been driving around on a moped targeting people with expensive watches on the night of the killing, Woolwich Crown Court heard.
Victim Mr Pearce and his girlfriend Stephanie Holland were returning to his car after a night out with friends when he was attacked.
When Mr Pearce refused to hand over his Rolex he was shot at, chased down the street, then cornered and knifed to death.
Miss Holland wept as she told the court: ‘I was in front of Danny. We were walking down the street and then two men both wearing balaclavas and motorcycle helmets come in front of us.
‘The person on the right had a firearm and the one on the left had a knife. They were of average height but larger than me.’
‘They were asking to hand over the watch. I thought they were joking. I thought it was a joke at first but then when the gun was shot I just ran. The gun was shot several times.’
The killers were caught on CCTV riding their moped in the area on the night of the attack
Following her father’s murder, Mr Pearce’s daughter, Gracie, left a heartbreaking a picture of herself and her father at the scene of the killing, with the message: ‘To Daddy. Love Gracie xxx.’
Bailey-Mascoll, who has a long criminal record dating back to his teens, was convicted of murder, possessing a firearm, possessing an imitation firearm and robbery.
As the jury read their verdicts, Bailey-Mascoll struggled violently with the dock officers who battled to restrain him, bringing some jurors to tears.
Jailing Mascoll, judge Christopher Kinch QC said today: ‘This case as any case were a life is lost carries with it a huge hinterland both for the those who are connected to the person whose live was lost, as well as for those connected with the defendant.
‘On 15 July last year, you went out with another man looking for someone to rob. Your intended targets were people sporting high-value watches.
‘The more expensive the better. The two of you went armed with a handgun and knives. You went on a motor-scooter scouring the streets of London looking for a victim.
‘Danny Pearce did resist, indeed he fought back, but the two of you chased him down and attacked him with hunting knives before his friends.’
The attack was one of scores of incidents involving marauding moped-riding thieves plaguing London and other major cities.
Met Police figures show crimes committed using mopeds, scooters and motorcycles soared by 50 per cent in the year up to May. Some thieves claim to be earning £2,000 a day.
Riding stolen machines and wearing clothes designed to conceal their identities, they know police are struggling to catch them.
There have been widespread calls for forces to adopt tougher tactics, notably after dashcam footage captured officers on dirt bikes dramatically intercepting two suspects in Manchester.
Victim’s anguished family call for help tracking down second killer
Danny Pearce’s mother Jan and sister Amanda appealed to the public for help identifying and capturing the second killer after ‘evil’ Jordan Bailey-Mascoll was caged.
They said in a joint statement: ‘A very dangerous individual has been put behind bars for a very long time. He brutally murdered Danny, and thanks to the police he won’t put another family through the hell we have been through.
‘As a family, we cannot use the word ‘happy’ because Danny is not here with us. But we do have some justice now because his killer is behind bars.
This heartbreaking message was left at the crime scene by Mr Pearce’s daughter Gracie
‘Please remember there is another offender out there that also needs to be found. He had as much involvement as Jordan Bailey-Mascoll. He is very dangerous and also need to be put behind bars.
‘If anyone out there knows anything please contact the police so both men are punished for taking away our Danny just for wearing a watch on a night out.
‘We would like to thank the police who managed to catch this evil person and I am sure they will catch the other person.’
They said they were thankful for police support through the ‘worst year of our lives.’
In a heartfelt statement, the victim’s sister Amanda Pearce spoke of her anguish in not being able to say goodbye to her brother.
She said: ‘We did not get to say goodbye, but you did not go alone because part of us went with you. Shine like the bright star you are Dan.’
She recalled the horror of receiving a phone call from her daughter saying, ‘Mum, Danny is dead’ and the dreadful fear all families have had been tragically realised.
The picture was attached to a balloon with the word ‘Daddy’ written on it