An off-duty volunteer police officer has been hailed a hero for apprehending a knifeman who carried out a brutal attack on a woman and two children in Dagenham. Kulvinder Ram, 49, was found guilty on Tuesday of the attempted murders of a woman and toddler and inflicting grievous bodily harm to a young girl with intent.
Details of the Attack
The woman suffered a 10cm cut to her neck and defensive wounds to her hands during the assault by Ram on the afternoon of October 25, 2024. The girl received a vicious wound to her face, and the little boy was left fighting for his life with his throat cut almost all the way around, the Old Bailey heard.
Heroic Intervention
Ram was detained at the scene by an off-duty sergeant in the Metropolitan Special Constabulary who was walking home from work. Special Police Sergeant Seff Serroukh initially thought the woman and girl running covered in blood were part of a Halloween prank. He quickly realized the severity and acted without hesitation.
Serroukh stated: “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 managed to keep him detained until colleagues arrived.”
Mental Health Background
The court heard that Ram had been found to be suffering from schizophrenia. Before the incident, his mental health had declined, and he had been behaving oddly, rearranging people's shoes and appearing fearful of cameras. His family had tried to get help through his GP, but Ram consistently denied anything was wrong.
Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC said Ram was mentally unwell but not to the extent that he did not know what he was doing. The jury reached unanimous verdicts on Tuesday after deliberating for six hours. Judge Mark Lucraft KC remanded Ram into custody to be sentenced in June.
Police Commendation
Following the conviction, Detective Constable Lewis Whitlock from Scotland Yard praised Serroukh: “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, Ram would have gone on to inflict further and most likely fatal injuries. His actions reflect the very best of the Met.”
A member of the public who ran into the house and attempted to stem the bleeding of one of the victims also played a major role in saving their life.
