Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Magda Girla said her son Ioan Pintaru had moved to the UK six years ago as a lorry driver I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The mother of a Romanian suspect accused of placing an 11-year-old girl in a headlock and stabbing her repeatedly in London’s Leicester Square has said she is “deeply sorry” for what happened to the young victim Ioan Pintaru, 32, allegedly launched the random assault outside the LEGO store, attacking the young Australian tourist with a steak knife while her mother screamed for help Speaking to the MailOnline from Pintaru’s hometown of Pucioasa Magda Girla said: “Please send this message to everybody I’m deeply sorry for what happened to that little girl “I suffer together with her mother and I can’t describe the pain I’m in I’m also a mother and I understand what she must be going through.” who she last spoke to on Monday morning before the attack had worked as a long-distance lorry driver and had moved to England around six years ago After being injured in a road traffic incident he had been forced to search for a new employer with the court hearing that he had been homeless at the time of the incident During his appearance at Westminster Magistrates Court this week prosecutor David Burns said the 34-year-old woman and daughter were in Leicester Square as tourists when a man “approached the girl he’s then stabbed her eight times to the body” wrist and neck area and has required plastic surgery The girl’s mother was initially thought to have also been hurt but blood from her daughter’s injuries had been mistaken for injuries of her own Officers said there was no suggestion the incident was terror-related or that the victims and suspect knew one another A security guard named Abdullah has since been praised for his bravery after he “jumped on” the suspect and disarmed him, restraining him in place until the emergency services arrived. Detective Chief Superintendent Christina Jessah said: “This is a horrific incident and our thoughts are with the victims and their family. We will continue to provide support to them over the coming days and weeks. “I would like to pay tribute to the members of the public, including staff from local businesses, who bravely intervened in this incident. They put themselves at risk and showed the best of London in doing so.” Pintaru was remanded in custody and will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 10. Ioan Pintaru is accused of stabbing the 11-year-old girl eight times in a random attack govt and politics"},{"score":0.664425,"label":"/family and parenting/children"},{"score":0.637121,"label":"/society/crime/sexual offense/rape"},{"score":0.579462,"label":"/travel/traveling with kids"},{"score":0.570944,"label":"/law Nick Abbot is Leading Britain's Conversation The mother of the Romanian man accused of stabbing a girl eight times in Leicester Square has said she shares the pain of the victim's family Ioan Pintaru has been charged with attempted murder over the seemingly random attack on the 11-year-old girl who was put in a headlock and stabbed eight times with a steak knife Reached in Pintaru's home town of Pucioasa said: "I suffer together with her mother and I can’t describe the pain I’m in "I’m also a mother and I understand what she must be going through." Read more: Girl, 11, stabbed eight times in Leicester Square attack is an Australian on a family holiday Read more: Tourist girl, 11, stabbed eight times with a steak knife in Leicester Square while shopping with her mother, court hears She revealed more details of her son's life telling the Mail that Pintaru had been a long-distance lorry driver for ten years Pintaru moved to the UK about six years ago and has a four-year-old daughter with whose mother he was in a long-term relationship and suffered a car accident a few weeks later Ms Girla said she had only heard from her son occasionally while he was away The stabbing took place at the TWG tea shop in the heart of the tourist hotspot in what police believe was not a terror-related attack Pintaru has also been charged with possession of a bladed article Appearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday morning the suspect wore a grey prison-issue sweatshirt as he appeared in the dock Prosecutor David Burns told the court the mother and her daughter were visiting the tourist hotspot on holiday when a man “approached the girl who witnesses say tackled the knifeman to the ground held the hand in which he was (carrying) a knife and just put him down on the floor and just held him and took the knife away from him "Then a couple of more people joined as well and we just held him until the police came it took maybe three to four minutes for the police to arrive and then they just took him into custody." He and his colleagues gave first aid to the child before the police joined in Mr Burns added: "In relation to the complainant – she was taken to hospital and she currently resides in hospital where she’s undergoing treatment" "I understand that she required plastic surgery for the injuries she sustained." They said at first they had mistakenly reported that the girl's mother was also hurt because she had her daughter's blood on her Pintaru was remanded in custody and will next appear at the Old Bailey on September 10 See more More Latest News See more Latest News See more The News Explained See more Royals See more Highlights & Opinion See more More Topics