A man has been locked up indefinitely after launching a knife attack on a woman and her two children in east London. Kulvinder Ram, 50, from Dagenham, cut the woman’s neck, caused a gaping neck wound to a toddler, and slashed the face of an eight-year-old girl. He was found guilty of the attempted murders of the woman and the two-year-old boy and of causing grievous bodily harm to the girl following a four-week trial at the Old Bailey in May.
Sentencing and attack details
On Friday, Judge Mark Lucraft KC sentenced Ram to a hospital order without limit of time. The attack took place in Dagenham on the afternoon of October 25, 2024. The woman had run out of the house with a visible cut to her neck and shouted that Ram was killing her, saying “my baby, my baby,” in reference to the boy still inside.
Ram was detained at the scene by an off-duty officer in the Met’s Special Constabulary who was walking home from work when he spotted a woman and her daughter covered in blood. From a distance, Special Police Sergeant Seff Serroukh initially thought he was witnessing a Halloween prank, but as he got closer he realised the severity of the situation.
Heroic intervention
Mr Serroukh said: “I quickly ran towards them and was immediately struck by the extent of their injuries and the amount of blood. When I became aware children were involved, I knew I had to act quickly. I had no safety equipment, no colleagues to assist, but as a father and a police officer, it was just a natural instinct to respond without hesitation, even without knowing the risk. As I approached the house, the suspect left the property and I managed to place him onto the ground with his hands behind his back, which was difficult as he was bigger and heavier than me. I was already on the phone to 999 and luckily I managed to keep him detained until colleagues arrived to take over.”
The young boy was found inside the house on top of the dining-room table covered in blood and with a gaping wound to the neck. All three victims suffered injuries that were so serious they required surgery.
Mental health background
Ram had undiagnosed schizophrenia at the time of the attack and had started to believe that he was being watched by cameras. He had grown increasingly paranoid and erratic, threatening to kill one of the victims two weeks before. The court heard he was suffering from delusions involving black magic and had auditory hallucinations.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, addressed the defendant directly in a victim impact statement read to the court. She said: “I don’t know how we got here. Your actions have changed everything.” Describing physical and emotional scars, she added: “I have been left with a scar to the left-hand side of the neck. Every time I look at the scar in the mirror, I feel upset. My daughter has now got scarring to the left-hand side of her face, which will be there for life. What happened to me I can bear it but this should never have happened to my daughter. My son has been left with scarring around his neck.”
She accepted Ram was “mentally unwell” but said that he should have listened to the advice of his family and gone to his GP to get help. She added: “I will never understand why you have done this.”
Police response and recognition
Detective Constable Lewis Whitlock, of Scotland Yard, said: “This is a particularly distressing case and my thoughts remain with the victims as they continue to process what happened that day. Our investigation left us with no doubt that Ram intended to kill those he targeted. I must also recognise the role of SPS Serroukh, who ran towards danger without any hesitation for his own personal safety. Without him, I have no doubt that Ram would have gone on to inflict further and most likely fatal injuries.”
He also noted: “Similarly, a member of the public who ran into the house and attempted to stem the bleeding of one of the victims played a major role in saving their life. Again, his efforts should be applauded and we hope he recognises how grateful we are for his intervention.” The indefinite hospital order means Ram will remain detained for treatment, with the safety of the public and the victims’ recovery remaining the priority.
