A man has been found guilty of stabbing a mother-of-two to death and attempting to murder another woman 24 hours later in two “unprovoked” attacks.

Shadika Patel, 40, was waiting for a bus when she was stabbed seven times by James Sinclair, 31, during the early hours of March 19 2020.

Ms Patel had been on her way to deliver a food parcel to her teenage sons ahead of the first coronavirus lockdown.

Sinclair stabbed her in the face, head and shoulders during the 20-second attack, before leaving her fatally injured on the pavement.

A member of the public who overheard her scream called the police. Ms Patel was taken to Newham General Hospital, where she died despite the efforts of hospital staff.

Sinclair then struck again the following day in Islington, stabbing a lone woman in the face and body.

However, this time his victim survived. He fled the scene, but was arrested a week later following a police investigation.

He was convicted of one count of murder and one count of attempted murder at the Old Bailey on Tuesday.

Samantha Yelland, from the CPS, said the attacks were “unprovoked”.

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“These were opportunistic, unprovoked and vicious attacks on two women while they were alone and in the dark”, she said.

“James Sinclair targeted his victims leaving them both for dead in the street. Shadika Patel was a concerned mother who had packed a bag of food to take to her children ahead of the national lockdown. She was brutally murdered before she even got on the bus.

“The prosecution case included DNA evidence and CCTV footage, which clearly linked Sinclair to the attacks. Workers at the hostel that Sinclair had been staying at were also able to identify him from images that the police presented to them. The clothes that Sinclair had been wearing when he murdered Ms Patel were found inside his room.

“All women should be free to walk through the streets of London without fearing violent attacks. The CPS is committed to prosecuting those who carry out violent acts against women.

“I hope these convictions provide some sense of justice to the family and friends of Ms Patel. Our thoughts remain with them at this time.”

Sinclair will be sentenced at a later date at the Old Bailey.