Knife thug Bishop gets life for murdering Harry Potter actor Rob Knox

Karl Bishop, 22, who yesterday was described as "carrying a knife like others would pens in their pockets," was told he would serve at least 20 years in jail.

The killer was found guilty of brutally murdering Mr Knox, 18, and stabbing five of his friends last May outside the Metro Bar in Sidcup, south-east London, at the Old Bailey on Wednesday.

Evil Bishop, who was wielding two kitchen knives, slashed his victims more than 10 times in less than two minutes during the terrifying ordeal.

Today he was also convicted of injuring four of the actor’s friends.

During the frenzied attack, Bishop stabbed Dean Saunders, 23, in the neck causing him to suffer permanent spinal damage, while Andrew Dormer, 17, was knifed in the chest as he tried to disarm him.

Nicky Jones, 20, was knifed in the hand and Charlie Grimley, 17, was stabbed in the face and arm.

Yesterday, the huge differences between Bishop and Knox were told to the court.



While the young actor was looking forward to reprising his role as Marcus Belby in the next instalment of the Harry Potter series, Bishop was already mired in a life of drinking, violence and prison.



At the age of 15 Bishop faced charges for threatening a youth he knew with a knife but the allegations were dropped when he appeared in court.



In another confrontation later that year outside a cab office he slashed the same youth, and his friend, across the face, leaving one needing five stitches and the other with a cut on his nose.



In May 2005 he pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and causing actual bodily harm and was in jail until March 2007.



Mr Knox had gone out of the club to protect his younger brother Jamie, 17, after hearing that Bishop threatened him.

It later emerged that Bishop was under police investigation for a knifepoint robbery and burglary, but had not been arrested.

The Metropolitan Police has disciplined two officers and changed its procedures.

Cowardly Bishop did not return to court to hear other verdicts and impact statements from Mr Knox’s parents Colin and Sally after being convicted of murder yesterday.

Colin Knox, 55, told GMTV today: “I think it’s disgusting because, seeing the guy in court all week, his body language was disgusting.

“When it comes to the crunch and he’s found guilty, he disappears into a hole and he can’t face the parents, the friends of Robert and those people he attacked.

“It just shows the guy’s values, he’s got no morals, no values.”

Mr Knox’s mother Sally, 51, said Bishop should have been made to go into court.

“Personally, once he’s got his sentence and he’s gone, I will not waste my time thinking about him,” she said.

“I just think maybe somebody like him may have some kind of disturbed mind, which may not be due to the life he’s had, it just may be something in him. I don’t know.”

They said they wanted to do something in their son’s memory, such as setting up a youth centre or a sponsorship scheme for actors.