A man who stabbed a gambling club employee in his ‘war’ on casinos has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order under the Mental Health Act.

Kien Ngyun, a 35-year-old from Bethnal Green, was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court yesterday after previously admitting causing GBH with intent and possessing an offensive weapon when he appeared in November.

He had lunged without warning at the employee and stabbed him in the chest in the incident in Leicester Square last July.

Paramedics from the Air Ambulance at Whitechapel took the 48-year-old employee to hospital in a critical condition.

Police who arrested Ngyun at the casino later searched his home in Coventry Road, off Three Colts Lane, and found written notes about “all casinos stealing money from my people”.

The notes said “they should all die” and that he would take over the business and give the money to charity.

Judge Michael Gledhill summed up that this was “a most cowardly, vicious attack” and voiced surprise that his victim hadn’t died in the attack.

The man he stabbed is still recovering six months later, but has left hospital.

Det Con Paul Griffiths said after the case: “This was a brutal unprovoked attack on a staff member simply just doing his job. It was lucky his injuries weren’t fatal.”

Ngyan had gone towards one of the gaming pits, before leaving after having words with an employee. He returned later and without warning lunged at another employee with a 20cm blade who had smiled at him thinking he had a complaint.