A thug who beat a shopkeeper with a wine bottle and stabbed in him the face nearly killing him is facing years in prison.

Trevor Sinclair, 51, nearly killed Srikanth Mailvaganam when he refused to sell him rum on credit, wrestling him to the floor and bludgeoning him over the head five times.

The shocking attack was caught on CCTV at the Stockwell Convenience Store in Brixton, on July 15 last year. 

Mr Mailvaganam was working behind the till at the store when Sinclair approached the counter with two soft drinks, asking for rum on credit.

Sinclair was turned away but came back minutes later, with a kitchen knife in his trousers, asking again for a bottle of rum.

After being refused again, Sinclair threw a large bottle of water at Mr Mailvaganam, shouting 'I will kill you'. Judge Sarah Munro, QC, remanded him in custody ahead of sentence on September 14.

Prosecutor Louise Oakley said: 'On Friday 15 July 2016, at approximately 11:42, Srikanth Mailvaganam was working behind the till serving customers.

'The defendant entered the store and selected two soft drinks from a fridge.

'He then approached the till and asked for credit to purchase not only these two soft drinks but also a bottle of rum as he did not have any money.

'When his request was declined he became angry and left the store threatening to return.'

As Mr Mailvaganam was serving customers the defendant, a regular user of the store, entered on two separate occasions within a few minutes of each other.

Ms Oakley said: 'On the second occasion, the defendant had a kitchen knife in the waistband of his trousers. 'Without warning, he attacked Mr Mailvaganam and, whilst on the floor, he struck him about the head and face with a bottle and the kitchen knife, causing him what the Crown describe as life-changing injuries to his face and head.

'It is the Crown's case is that by his words and actions, the defendant intended to kill his victim.

'Unfortunately the defendant was the bigger and stronger man, and eventually, using his entire body weight, he was able to climb on top of his victim and pin him down.'

Witnesses called police to scene, where an officer tasered the attacker after seeing him towering over his victim with a knife.

Sinclair was taken to Brixton Police Station, where he refused to answer any questions by police.

Mr Mailvaganam, who had worked in his brother's convenience store on Stockwell Road for up to six years, knew Sinclair as he regularly asked for credit in the store.

CCTV footage of the incident showed Sinclair repeatedly batter his victim with the wine bottle until it smashed.

Sinclair, from Brixton, denied but was convicted of attempted murder. He had admitted the lesser alternative of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.