A "menace to society" has been locked up for 21 years following a series of vicious knife attacks, the most savage of which left an innocent young man fighting for his life.

Jack Smith, 23, of Glastonbury Road, Morden, was jailed today at Croydon Crown Court nearly six years after he and his accomplice Barry Hughes, also of Morden, bludgeoned Matthew Jeeves with a meat cleaver as he walked home alone from a new years eve party.

Earlier this year, Smith stabbed another man in the Bounce Bar in Sutton for looking at him.  A woman was also stabbed by Smith in the mêlée.

Today he was sentenced after last month pleading guilty to three counts of wounding with intent, one count of robbery and three firearms offences.

Following the 2008 attack, in which a 17-year-old Smith sunk a meat cleaver into Mr Jeeves’ head five times, police arrested then released him, but a hat left at the scene was later to provide police with key DNA evidence to prosecute him.

Judge Jeremy Gold QC, told Smith: "You no doubt thought you had got away with it, but you hadn't.  This was a quite appalling attack in which the gratuitous violence far exceeded that needed to carry out a robbery. One of the blows pierced the victim's skull and you left him for dead.

"You have shown a casual approach to excessive violence and a complete disregard to the harm you cause."

Speaking outside court, Detective Inspector John McQuade, who was leading the investigation, went further branding the two men "scum".

He said: "Jack Smith is dangerous and the streets are safer without him, he was a menace to society. He did not deserve any credit for his guilty plea and I'm glad the judge didn't give him any. He was backed into a corner because of the evidence we had on him.  It’s been a long time, but I'm glad we got a result for Matthew."

DI McQuade and Detective Sergeant Eric Sword were singled out for praise by Judge Gold and Mr Jeeves himself.

Mr Jeeves, who has a scar going from above his right eye diagonally across his face to his chin following the attack, said: "It’s been a difficult five years, but I've got on with my life.  I wasn't going to let them win. I'm just glad they cannot hurt anyone else."

Mr Jeeves was walking through Cheam in the early hours of new years day 2008 when Smith and Hughes approached him demanding his mobile phone and money before Hughes punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

Smith then pinned Mr Jeeves down before hacking at face as many as five times.  

The pair left their victim in a pool of blood, with his nose almost detached from his face he had been hit with such force.

Mr Jeeves was found by off duty police officer in the early hours of January and needed multiple operations to salvage his nose, and had more than 100 stitches to other wounds around his head.

Hughes pleaded guilty of the attack last year and his currently serving a 13 year prison sentence.

He was caught after police found blood on a pair of his mother’s shoes which he has worn for the attack.

Judge Gold described a "plethora of weapons" found at Smith's house during two searches which included three air rifles, an axe, a machete and a Gurkha knife.

The court heard how Smith had already served two years in a young offender’s institution after threatening a taxi driver with a knife before taking it on a joy ride.