London News: Brutal Stabbing 48-Hour Manhunt Ends With Woman Found Hiding Under Bed.

20th August 202620th August 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Jailed, Knife Crime, Manhunt, Police min read

Watch the moment officers arrest the two suspects.

A woman who went on the run after helping lure a 66-year-old man into a brutal knife attack was found hiding underneath a bed following a 48-hour manhunt.

Police Body Worn Camera shows the moment officers found the suspect Leah Campbell-Knechtel, hiding under the bed.

Leah Campbell-Knechtel, 28, of no fixed address, and Jawad Naser, 47, of Cambridge Gardens, Muswell Hill, have each been jailed for 10 years after being convicted of grievous bodily harm.

The dramatic arrest of Campbell-Knechtel brought a two-day manhunt to an end when Met officers stormed a Muswell Hill address.

At around 12:36pm on Tuesday, 20 January, officers armed with Tasers entered the property and searched a bedroom.

They lifted the mattress — and discovered Campbell-Knechtel hiding beneath the bedframe.

But detectives had already pieced together what happened during the vicious attack just two days earlier.

Officers were called to a flat in Islington at around 7.03pm on Sunday, 18 January, after a 66-year-old man was stabbed repeatedly.

He suffered life-threatening injuries and required emergency surgery.

Detectives quickly identified Naser and Campbell-Knechtel as suspects using witness accounts, CCTV, doorbell footage and other intelligence.

Naser was arrested at his Muswell Hill home less than four hours after the attack.

Officers also recovered blood-stained trainers which later formed part of the evidence presented at trial.

Campbell-Knechtel was then tracked down and arrested within 48 hours.

The attack was sparked by a dispute over money.

The victim had reportedly given Campbell-Knechtel thousands of pounds during what appeared to be a relationship. On the day of the attack, he gave her more money after she asked for financial help.

But when he later demanded his money back, an argument broke out.

That evening, Campbell-Knechtel returned to his flat claiming she wanted to make peace.

Instead, she opened the door and allowed Naser inside.

She then took a kitchen knife from the victim’s kitchen and passed it to Naser.

He repeatedly stabbed the victim, leaving him fighting for his life.

Detective Chief Inspector Gemma Alger, of the Met’s Central North Criminal Investigation Department, said:

“Campbell-Knechtel thought she could avoid justice by hiding under a bed, but our officers were right on her trail.”

She described the attack as “a savage knife attack” which left the victim with “life-changing injuries.”

DCI Alger added:

“Less than 48 hours after the attack, officers had pieced together the evidence, tracked down the suspects, and put them in custody. Now they’re exactly where they belong – behind bars.”

She also stressed Campbell-Knechtel’s role in the attack.

“Campbell-Knechtel may not have wielded the knife herself, but she lured the victim into a false sense of security and made the attack possible. The sentences recognise that her role was every bit as serious.”

The case comes as the Met says knife-enabled crime across London fell by 14.9 per cent in 2025/26, with knife-enabled robbery down 21 per cent and offences involving a knife being used to cause injury down 8.4 per cent.

But for the victim of this attack, those statistics offer little comfort.

He was left with life-threatening injuries after what detectives described as a calculated betrayal — and the woman he trusted to come and make peace instead opened the door to his attacker.

The pair jailed for ten years