In the early hours of August 4 last year, a Vietnamese man and woman were on a first date in Manchester City Centre when a man sprayed UV paint in their eyes to disorientate them before stabbing them both.
“At the moment I was stabbed, I had the genuine belief that I was going to die,” said the male victim.
Both victims survived the attack, which at first appeared to be completely random.
But detectives soon revealed that it was carried out by Viet Tran, 22, of Leigh Crescent in New Addington, who had been meticulously planned the trip to Manchester to carry out the attack.
Tran was determined to cause harm following the breakdown of their relationship and became obsessed, police said.
He paid someone on the ‘dark web’ to hack her phone to enable him to track her and see her private messages.
Tran soon discovered that his ex-partner was going up to Manchester on a first date and had booked activities across the city.
He tracked her to Manchester on a train then followed the couple around the city from around 100 yards away the entire day.
Tran then put on a balaclava and carried out the attack, before returning to London where he dumped the knife.
Both victims suffered serious injuries at the time but have since begun their long road to recovery, still together.
In an impact statement, the male victim said: “I have never before in my life, found myself in a situation where I had to contemplate my three young children to grow up in a world without their father.
“My memory of this exact moment in vague and, although easier to talk about now, I still find it an emotional thing to discuss with others, the fact that I believed I was going to die is still something I feel I am coming to terms with.”
He explained that before this incident he was a fitness enthusiast but he now struggles with his health.
He continued: “This, in my head, was a completely random attack that I was subjected to, when I was enjoying a day out with my partner.
“Since this incident, I find that I am unable to relax and become agitated and nervous when out in public.
“This is in stark contrast to how I was before I was attacked. I do not know if I will ever be in a place where I feel completely safe when I leave the house, and this causes me significant frustration and upset.”
Last Thursday (April 3) Tran was jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of Section 18 and Section 20 assault.
