Heathrow arrest: Man jailed for City metal bar attack

A man who attempted to hide his identity with a bedsheet before launching a ‘frenzied’ metal bar attack on a former co-worker has been jailed for four and a half years.

Javier De Brito Jardim, 36, was caught by City of London Police officers at Heathrow Airport just one day after the assault as he attempted to board a flight to Beijing.

In the early hours of 1st December 2024, Jardim, of Bolney Street, SW8, was seen on CCTV wrapping himself in a white sheet on Cannon Street, apparently thinking he would go undetected, before making his way to Poultry in the City of London.

Arriving at his victim’s place of work, Jardim laid in wait before launching a frenzied attack with an iron bar, as well as punching and kicking his victim.

His victim managed to get away and alerted police. He was taken to hospital where it was discovered he had sustained a fractured skull and a small bleed on the brain which required surgery.

Following the attack, Jardim is seen on CCTV carrying the white sheet and making his way back to his bus stop on London Bridge.

In his statement, the victim told police he had suspicions that it was Jardim who carried out the attack because of a work dispute.

It’s alleged that Jardim had been drinking at work and was given a warning in mid-November and Jardim believed it was the victim who had told his supervisors.

From then, the victim said Jardim did not speak to him apart from one occasion: after the victim asked Jardim if anything was wrong, Jardim replied with ‘You will see, you will see’. Jardim was sacked from his job a week after making this comment and the victim believes this was the reason for the attack.

Detective Constable Rowan Smith, at the City of London Police, said: “Javier De Brito Jardim thought he could come into the City without being noticed. The extensive CCTV network across the Square Mile tracked his every movement, as soon as he got off the bus to make his way to attack his victim.

“Security footage picked up everything he did, there was no getting away from the cameras which spotted him covering himself with a bedsheet, carrying out the assault, leaving his victim seriously injured, and then leaving the City.

“I want to thank the victim for supporting our investigation. An identification from him had enabled us to find Jardim and stop him from fleeing on a flight to Beijing, and along with CCTV evidence, led us to secure this conviction.

“Our warning to criminals; don’t come into the City to commit an offence. If you do, you risk being spotted by CCTV cameras and we will track you down, arrest you and bring you to justice.”

De Briton Jardim pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced in February 2026 to 54 months in prison.

This article was published by City of London Police on 09/03/2026 and can be viewed at https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/news/city-of-london/news/2026/march/man-who-used-a-bed-sheet-to-hide-identity-jailed-for-attack-on-former-co-worker/