Two British cousins accused of knifing a man in the throat after allegedly trying to chat up his female friend were just millimetres away from killing him, Italian police have revealed.
Axyl Izouaouen, 19, and Adam Izouaouen, 21, both from London, are in custody on suspicion of attempted murder following the St Valentine’s Day attack in Venice.
The 22-year-old victim, who has not been named, was stabbed during an argument that broke out inside the popular La Bussola cocktail bar earlier this month.
Witnesses said an argument developed after the two British men, who are from London, tried to chat up a woman who was with the victim.
Eugenio Masino, head of the Venice Flying squad, told the Daily Mail: ‘The victim was lucky to escape with his life, his wound was very serious, and he will be in hospital at least a month.
‘He has dozens of stitches to his throat and if it had been a few millimetres to one side it would have sliced through his jugular vein and he would be dead.’
Mr Masino added: ‘We haven’t had a chance to interview the victim properly because of his injury as doctors have told him not to try and speak.’
The victim pulled the knife from his throat and threw it on the ground where it was picked up by one of the men with witnesses saying they threw it into the nearby Canale Grande.
Axyl Izouaouen, 19, and Adam Izouaouen (pictured), 21, both from London, are in custody on suspicion of attempted murder following the St Valentine’s Day attack in Venice
The victim pulled the knife from his throat and threw it on the ground where it was picked up by one of the men with witnesses saying they threw it into the nearby Canale Grande. Pictured: Police searching the canal
Paramedics raced to the scene as bar goers tried to stem the flow of blood from the man’s throat and he was taken to hospital for life saving surgery.
Mr Masino said the men were identified after CCTV from the bar was examined as well as till receipts and they were able to trace them through their social media accounts.
Details were then exchanged with Interpol and police in London who confirmed the identities and the men were traced to a flat the grandmother of one of the men owned.
Mr Masino added:’ CCTV footage from the bar shows one of the men Adam, handing the knife to the other, and the victim is then stabbed in the neck.
‘With the help of information received we were able to establish that Adam’s grandmother had a flat in Venice, and a surveillance operation was mounted.
‘We saw the lights going on and off and then officers raided the apartment where the two men were and were the second husband of the grandmother was staying.’
Social media accounts for the men reveal both are from London and Adam is said to be a law student while his cousin is unemployed.
Both men are currently being held in a jail near Venice and are expected to appear in court again next month.