A man who attacked his housemate with a kitchen knife after being disturbed in the bathroom has been jailed. Naoufal Rabae brandished a brick before arming himself with a knife during the confrontation in the house of multiple occupation where the men lived in Swansea.
Attack followed bathroom dispute
Matthew Comer, prosecuting, told Swansea Crown Court that at around 6.30am on February 17 the victim, Mohammed Sakori, got up and went to the bathroom but found Rabae was already using it. A short time later the defendant emerged from the bathroom and swore at his housemate and Mr Sakori swore back.
The court heard that the two men went their separate ways but a short time later Rabae approached the complainant with a brick in his hand. Mr Sakori kicked the brick out of the defendant's hand but the confrontation continued when Rabae again approached Mr Sakori - this time armed with a bread knife.
Intervention and arrest
Rabae attacked Mr Sakori with the blade until another tenant of the property intervened. Rabae then left the property. The police were called and the defendant was arrested later the same day after being spotted returning to the address.
In his subsequent interview the 21-year-old Moroccan national denied having a knife and claimed it had been the complainant who had produced the weapon and caused the injuries to himself. Mr Sakori had been taken to hospital where superficial wounds to his left knee and left foot were cleaned and glued.
Background and sentencing
Naoufal Rabae, of Approach Road, Manselton, Swansea, had previously pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm when he returned to the dock for sentencing. He has two previous convictions for six offences including possession of a bladed article from 2025.
The court heard Rabae is a failed asylum seeker with no leave to remain in the UK. Ian Ibrahim, for Rabae, said the defendant grew up in Morocco where, when he was still young, others had tried to recruit him into drug dealing and other illegal activities. He said at the age of 11 his client left the country of his birth and moved to Spain to live with his Spanish mother, but when she passed away he moved to France - where he lived for five years - and then to Germany before coming to the UK "in search of a better life".
The barrister said at the time of the incident Rabae was living in a house of multiple occupation with other young men "in similar circumstances", and he said such properties "could be considered kettles of unrest". He said there had been some "aggravation" between the two men prior to the incident which had resulted in the events the court had heard about.
Judge Huw Rees said the defendant had committed a serious offence involving a knife, an offence aggravated by his previous conviction for possession of a bladed article. He said though it was not known how many blows Rabae had delivered it was clear he had used the weapon "repeatedly". The judge said he was prepared to accept that there are "tensions" in houses of multiple occupancy where "young men live cheek by jowl in unstable conditions".
With a 15 per cent discount for his guilty plea Rabae was sentenced to 20 months in prison. He will serve no more than half the sentence in custody before being released on licence. Judge Rees said whether the defendant was deported upon his release was a matter for the Home Office and not the courts.
