Sabesan Sivaneswaran – an infamous gangster who tried to behead someone with a sword while part of a violent East London gang has died – after drinking enough whisky to put someone in a coma.
The 34-year-old man choked on his own vomit on Bengal Road in July last year after drinking whisky while celebrating the birthday of a one-year-old at a party in Ilford, an inquest heard. DailyMail reports.
He was part of a gang who wreaked havoc across East London and tried to murder a man in 2006 before they were jailed two years later.
Armed with swords, pick-axe handles and pieces of wood, four of the thugs attempted to behead the victim, who had only a cricket bat to defend himself.
The man’s arm was severed to the bone, leaving his hand hanging by the wrist.
The gang of seven known as ‘The East Ham Boys’ were led by Senthurrajah Thavapalasingham – nicknamed ‘Psycho’ – and had travelled across London to target rival gang DMX, the Old Bailey heard at the time.
Sivaneswaran was given a life sentence for attempted murder and ordered to serve at least eight years.
His imprisonment, along with the other caged thugs, saw criminal damage fall by 80 per cent in the East Ham area, and reports of anti-social behaviour were also down by 50 per cent.
‘East Ham is no longer a “crime and disorder” hotspot,’ police said after the trial in 2008.
But 14 years later Sivaneswaran was found lying in the road outside a party, covered in sick and unable to breath.
Moments before a friend recalled how Sivaneswaran had spilt curry on his shirt and was dancing, in a statement read to the East London Coroner’s Court.
He said: ‘I noticed Sabesan could not hold his food plate because he was drunk. He tried drinking the water but he lost his balance and fell down.’
Police officers patrolling the area had found Sivaneswaran laying on Bengal Road with sick all over his face, shirt, and on the floor at 12.06am.
Officers tried to clear his airways by scooping out vomit with their hands and a bandage. He was still breathing but fell unconscious at 12.21am.
London Ambulance Service arrived six minutes after the initial call was made.
Paramedics took over CPR from the police when they arrived, giving chest compressions, drugs to stimulate the heart and advanced life support.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to save him and he was pronounced dead at 1.30am.
