Musse Ali, 67, a homeless man who fatally stabbed a grandfather and injured two others in a random knife attack at a market on Remembrance Sunday morning, has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
The attack
Ali killed Hilkiah McLeggan, 77, and wounded Ho Man Yau and Baheru Nadew Bartura in East Street market in Walworth, south London, on Sunday November 10 2024. He was sentenced at the Old Bailey on Wednesday after admitting manslaughter by diminished responsibility, wounding with intent and having an article with a blade.
Mental health
Ali, who was born in Somalia but moved to the UK in 1990 after seeking political asylum, has schizoaffective disorder and was not taking his medication at the time of the attack. His Honour Judge Nigel Lickley KC said: “This case concerns the tragic events on the 10th of November 2024 when three members of the public were attacked by the defendant, Mr Ali, who had armed himself with a large kitchen knife.”
The judge added: “Mr Ali was mentally very unwell at the time with his long standing illness as the main driver in his horrific offending that day, when he stabbed and killed Hilkiah McLeggan and seriously injured Ho Yau and Baheru Bartura.”
Hospital order
Ali, wearing a grey t-shirt and black jacket, was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with a restriction order under Section 41. The judge said that Ali’s offending caused “serious alarm and distress” and that there is “no doubt” that he is a “dangerous” individual. He accepted the evidence of two experts that “the reason Mr Ali behaved in the very violent way he did was because he was very unwell at the time”.
Details of the attack
The court heard that after arriving to the market by bus on the day of the attack, Ali entered a shop and stole a knife. The shopkeeper initially thought Ali was stealing vapes and after pushing him out of the building, realised he was holding a blade. Once outside, Ali randomly stabbed three people in “quick succession”. His first victim, Mr Yau, had been walking through the market when Ali “ran at him” and “stabbed him a number of times”. In a witness statement, he said Ali looked “crazy” and that his eyes were “wide and scary”.
After stabbing Mr Yau, Ali subsequently attacked Mr Bartura and Mr McLeggan with the blade, which was 20 to 25cm in length. The defendant also “lunged” at other members of the public with the weapon before he was ultimately disarmed. Mr McLeggan died at the scene from a stab wound to the back.
Victim impact
The court heard that Mr Bartura has needed extensive medical treatment since the attack, which saw him suffer a deep penetrative wound to his chest. In a victim impact statement, the father said that without the support of his family, he would be housebound due to the “overwhelming anxiety, post-traumatic stress and a constant fear of being attacked again”.
The responsible clinician for Ali – who was sleeping rough and lost to services at the time of the incident – told the court that the defendant has a “serious and treatment-resistant” form of the schizoaffective disorder. He said that in his view, Ali would not have offended and the event would not have taken place if he did not suffer from the illness.
In a tribute, Mr McLeggan’s grieving relatives said their lives were tipped upside down on the day of the attack. They said Ali “stole a precious, courageous, supportive and loving person when he carried out this atrocious and selfish act”. “Our dad was not ready to go, nor were we prepared to lose him in such a cruel way,” they added. “We didn’t get to hug him; tell him we loved him one last time or say goodbye. He had so much vibrancy, love and life to give, which makes his loss exceptionally hard to bear. We will cherish him in our hearts forever.”
Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who led the investigation, said: “This was a shocking attack that took place in a busy market on Remembrance Sunday. Officers attended the scene within minutes and arrested the attacker. I want to again thank the members of the public who tried to disarm the attacker and performed first aid on the injured before police officers and paramedics at the scene of this awful incident.”
