An Uber driver who stabbed a dog walker to death in a random knife attack while suffering a psychotic episode has been found guilty of trying to murder his landlord. Dawood Safi, 28, killed 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst in Uxbridge, west London, last October, just minutes after attacking his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and a 14-year-old boy.
Attack Details and Guilty Plea
On the opening day of his 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. On Thursday, the jury found Safi guilty of attempting to murder Farrukh and continued to deliberate on the attempted murder charge related to the teenager.
Background of the Perpetrator
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 upon entry and told a psychiatrist he witnessed his father's murder by the Taliban in a land dispute when he was 10. However, prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw KC stated this story was “not true,” adding that four mental health experts concluded Safi experienced a “complete mental collapse” at the time of the rampage.
The Psychotic Episode
Laidlaw explained: “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.” 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 found Safi holding a large kitchen knife in his kitchen. “He launched an unannounced attack on Mr Farrukh, who was unarmed and was caught completely unaware,” Laidlaw said.
The Fatal Attack
As the incident moved 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.” The court was told Broadhurst’s family wanted Safi convicted of murder, but prosecutors accepted his guilty plea to manslaughter after considering mental health evidence. The trial continues.
