The family of a 64-year-old father who suffered horrific injuries that left him nearly decapitated on his own doorstep issued a plea as his killer was sentenced. The children of dad-of-11 Ibrahim Yassin gave a statement in Cardiff Crown Court urging the authorities to learn lessons so "no other family has to go through the pain we have".
Mr Yassin's daughter Nazra Sharif found the 64-year-old at his home in Belmont Walk, Butetown after he had suffered more than 30 separate knife wounds to all parts of his body including extensive injuries to his neck. His killer, Mujeeb Hassani, 41, told police he carried out the killing "due to God's will". Hassani's trial earlier this year heard he had previously been released from a mental health unit three times, despite the concerns of a consultant psychiatrist Matthew Hoskins who said he posed a risk to himself and others.
Family's Victim Impact Statement
In their victim impact statement, his children referred to that advice and said they could not help but wonder whether his death could have been prevented. "It's deeply painful to know that there had been concerns about the defendant's risk to himself and others before our father's death. We hope lessons are learnt so no other family has to go through the pain we have," they said.
The statement was written by Mr Yassin's son and was read on the family's behalf. His son wrote: "Our father was a devoted father to 11 children. He was the centre of our family and the person we looked up to for protection, guidance and support."
"Our family already suffered the devastating loss of our mother who passed away during the birth of our siblings, the twins. The younger twins were only 16 when our father was taken from them. They had already lost their mother at birth. They have now been left to enter adulthood without either of their parents."
Community Loss Remembered
The statement continued: "He did not hold grudges. His life was deeply defined by his faith. He dedicated himself to serving our mosque and the people around and was a respected and trusted member of the community. He was a founding member of a funeral charity that helped families who couldn't afford them. This was simply part of who he was."
His family said he was a deeply compassionate man who believed in bringing people together and was someone people would turn to for help with family or marital differences. "His life was one of forgiveness and service," his son said. "He gave his time to his family, his faith, and people who needed his help. He asked for nothing in return. Our community has lost a trusted and respected member, the mosque has lost its caretaker, many families have lost someone they would rely on for help and support."
Sentencing and Hospital Order
Hassani, 41, was sentenced to a hospital order with restrictions. He killed Mr Yassin on February 18, 2024. A trial had previously found him not guilty of murder but guilty of committing manslaughter. The jury heard evidence from psychiatrists that the killer was acting under diminished responsibility as a result of untreated psychosis and paranoid schizophrenia. It is believed he was suffering a psychotic episode at the time of the killing.
During the hearing, psychiatrist Dr Dilum Jayawickrama described Hassani as having an "extremely serious mental disorder" and said he thought he would be best managed within a hospital setting under a hospital order where his mental health could be "closely supervised and managed". Thomas Crowther KC, defending Hassani, said it was not a case for him to offer any mitigation and said he did not.
Hassani did not attend the sentencing hearing virtually or in-person but the judge said there was "no more chance" of him attending on the next occasion and decided to continue without him. The court heard that Hassani, of Cliff Court, Butetown, had no previous convictions in the UK.
Passing sentence, Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said she had listened to the "very eloquent and deeply moving" victim impact statement and heard how Mr Yassin was a forgiving and compassionate man, who was deeply committed to his faith and his community. Judge Lloyd-Clarke sentenced Hassani to a hospital order with a restriction order. He was handed a section 37 order to remain at and be detained at Ashworth High Secure Hospital under The Mental Health Act 1983.
Judge Lloyd-Clarke also made him subject of a section 41 restriction order meaning the decision to leave, transfer, or discharge the patient is not up to the hospital alone. Instead he must be discharged by the Mental Health Tribunal or by his responsible clinician and receive permission from the Ministry of Justice. She said she had taken into account the fact that both psychiatrists thought the section 37/41 order was appropriate and referred to evidence from Dr John Crosby which said sentencing Hassani to a prison sentence would present a risk to other prisoners and prison staff.
She also said they had both been of the opinion that Hassani would not have committed the offence if it were not for his mental illness. Judge Lloyd-Clarke added: "I want to pay tribute to the remarkable dignity and the restraint his family have shown throughout this case and offer my condolences to them for this devastating loss."
