A MOPED mugger has been convicted of murdering a man for his £7,000 Rolex in front of his girlfriend as the couple walked home from a date.
Danny Pearce, 31, was knifed to death after a night out at a jazz club in Greenwich, London while his partner Stephanie Holland screamed for help.
Sick killers David Egan, 24, and Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 28, took turns to stab Mr Pearce, the father of a little girl, after he refused to hand over his watch.
Bailey-Mascoll – who was pictured smirking in his mugshot before he was convicted of murder – was ordered to spend life behind bars, with a minimum term of 35 years, in 2018.
But he refused to give cops Egan's name – meaning Mr Pearce's loved ones have faced an agonising wait for justice.
However, this week, the second murderer was convicted of the killing – as well as a string of other crimes.
Jurors sitting at the Inner London Crown Court heard Mr Pearce, an electrician, was shot at and stabbed by balaclava-wearing robbers who had been hunting for victims.
Prosecutors said footage showed the murderers "actually swap positions" so they could "take it in turns" to stab their victim.
Mr Pearce was fatally injured as he banged for help on the door of a nearby home, it was heard.
Ms Holland desperately tried to stem the bleeding before ambulances arrived, but was tragically unable to save her boyfriend's life.
She said she initially believed the attack was a prank.
“I really thought it was a joke," she told The Sun.
"There was one guy with a gun in his hand and another had a knife, they were wearing balaclavas and I laughed. I actually laughed.
“They looked like caricatures of criminals, as if they were in fancy dress and this was some sort of comedy set-up.
"But then one of them shot the gun directly at us and then reality hit home."
Ms Holland, who was in heels, shouted at her boyfriend to "run" – before realising he wasn't at her side when she fell to the ground.
"Danny came running out and he had blood flowing from his head," she said.
"I yelled ‘run’ but he was struggling. He walked up to a house on the road and knocked on the door but the guy followed him into the doorway and just kept stabbing him, not just once but continuously."
Ms Holland bravely returned to her partner, taking the watch from his wrist and throwing it at his murderers.
She then battled to save his life – and broke down on the street after she was told medics had been unable to save him.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as multiple stabbings.
However, police also found gunshot grazing and evidence of at least four shots fired in Mr Pearce's direction as he tried to flee.
"I thought everybody was lying to me. I stayed there until about 7am," Ms Holland said.
"Sometimes I still think that now. I think I’m going crazy sometimes.
"It didn’t feel real and it still doesn’t. I just didn’t want to go."
Egan was yesterday convicted of murdering Mr Pearce on July 15 2017, as well as possession of a firearm, robbery and possession of an offensive weapon.
The level of violence shown towards him was shocking.
Jurors also found him guilty of further robberies committed days before Mr Pearce's death on July 11 and 13 2017, and further counts of possession of an offensive weapon and having an imitation firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.
The defendant, of Deptford, south-east London, will return to the court to be sentenced next week.
Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway, of the Met Police, said: “This was a truly horrific attack that took place in the street after Danny had enjoyed a night out with his girlfriend and their friends.
"He was subjected to a prolonged attack, with the offenders chasing him up and down the street.
"Danny tried to seek refuge in a residential property, but as he did so he was repeatedly stabbed. The level of violence shown towards him was shocking.
“Today’s conviction is a result of three years of hard work by my team. I am pleased that we have secured the guilty verdict that Danny’s family were desperate to hear.
"They are approaching another Christmas, which should be a time for family, without Danny."
Cops have never found Mr Pearce's watch. Anyone who was offered a silver Rolex Datejust 2 2017 for sale in suspicious circumstances is urged to call 101.
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