A man has been jailed for attempted murder following a vicious, unprovoked knife attack against a stranger in Chatham. Ray Chirisa received a 23-year prison sentence, with an additional five years to be served on licence, following the incident in The Brook on 28 October 2024.
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The attack occurred at approximately 8pm when Chirisa approached a man he did not know. Following a brief conversation, Chirisa stabbed the victim multiple times. The victim fell to the ground as the assault continued, though he managed to use his arms to deflect the knife before fleeing to the safety of a nearby shop.
Police officers quickly arrived at the scene and arrested Chirisa. Investigators tracking local CCTV footage later recovered a knife with a 16cm blade, which had been discarded in a town centre bin. Chirisa, aged 34 and from Maidstone, was subsequently charged with attempted murder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place.
Chirisa denied the charges but was found guilty on both counts during a trial. He was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday 15 May 2026.
Detective Constable Lauren Mewett said:
‘This horrific crime was unprovoked and directed towards a person Chirisa had never met. He is an extremely violent individual who poses an evident threat to the wider public. We are pleased to see him put behind bars.
‘I would like to thank members of the public at the time who assisted with our enquiries and enabled us to rapidly get a clear picture of the incident and recover the knife.’