An Uber driver who stabbed a dog walker to death in a frenzied attack while experiencing a psychotic episode has been found guilty of attempting to murder his landlord. Dawood Safi, 28, killed 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst in a random knife attack last October, just minutes after attacking his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and a 14-year-old boy.
Attack Details
Despite being stabbed in the neck, Farrukh and the teenager managed to escape while neighbors in Uxbridge, west London, tried to stop Safi. On the first day of the trial at Southwark Crown Court, Safi pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Broadhurst on grounds of diminished responsibility due to his psychotic state. He also admitted grievous bodily harm with intent against Farrukh and actual bodily harm against the boy.
Jury Verdict
On Thursday, the jury found Safi guilty of attempting to murder Farrukh and continued deliberations on the attempted murder charge related to the teenager. Safi, an Afghan refugee, arrived in the UK in a lorry in 2020 and was granted asylum in 2022. The court heard he initially lied about his age and told a psychiatrist he witnessed his father's murder by the Taliban in a land dispute when he was 10.
Mental Health Evidence
However, prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw KC stated the story of Safi's father's death was “not true,” adding that four mental health experts concluded Safi suffered a “complete mental collapse” at the time of the rampage. Laidlaw said: “The defendant was hearing voices, he’d become consumed by paranoia and delusional beliefs which included that people generally and members of his family in this country were both controlling him and plotting against him.”
Attack Sequence
The prosecution said Safi believed Farrukh could help him due to his role as a Thames Valley police contractor. On the day of the attack, Farrukh entered his kitchen and saw Safi's silhouette through a glass door. Upon opening the door, he saw Safi holding a large kitchen knife. “He launched an unannounced attack on Mr Farrukh, who was unarmed and was caught completely unaware,” Laidlaw told the court. As the incident spilled onto the street, Safi encountered Broadhurst walking his dog and stabbed him 14 times in the head, neck, chest, and back. Laidlaw described this as a “frenzied, random and entirely unprovoked attack.”
Family Reaction
The court was told Broadhurst's family wanted Safi convicted of murder, but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter after evidence about his mental health. The trial continues.
