Kyle Quinn, 22, was involved in a fight outside the Woodin Shades pub near Liverpool Street railway station in October 2022.
During the fight he produced a knife and stabbed another man twice in the head and once in the back.
“This was a nasty attack which could have easily have led to the victim dying from his injuries,” Detective Constable Sam Lowe said.
Quinn was identified a month later by which point he had already left the country.
DC Lowe explained: “Quinn thought he could flee the scene and evade justice. An extensive investigation involving interviewing many witnesses, analysing hours of CCTV, recovery of the knife, forensic examination of blood and DNA and media appeals, resulted in police identifying Quinn by November 2022, at which time he was out of the country.”
But Quinn came back to the UK a few months later at which point he was arrested.
“When Quinn returned to Stansted Airport in January 2023, we were waiting and arrested him. If you come to the City with the intent of using a knife to harm others we will find you and put you before the courts,” DC Lowe said.
A jury found Quinn, from Cheshunt, guilty of unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon.
Last week he spared jail and was instead given a two year suspended sentence.
The element of punishment within the sentence was 240 hours of unpaid work.