A schizophrenic Sudanese migrant who was allowed to remain free in the UK before attacking a woman with a broken glass bottle has been jailed for 25 years. Ibrahim Albashir, 34, was convicted of attempted murder after stabbing the victim around 30 times outside The Original Oak Pub in Leeds on March 17, 2024.
Missed opportunities and prior offences
Leeds Crown Court heard that Albashir was denied asylum in France after spending six months at a mental hospital before crossing the Channel to Britain. He was provided accommodation at a hostel in Birmingham in 2024, understood to have been arranged by the Home Office. During his stay, he sexually assaulted a member of staff when she refused his offer of sex.
He later spent time in Luton, Coventry, and Barrow-in-Furness before the attack on a 32-year-old woman in Leeds. Albashir, who has catatonic schizophrenia, was first arrested after the sexual assault at the Birmingham hostel, but was bailed before the investigation was dropped due to a lack of evidence.
Arrests and release before the attack
On March 14, 2024, he was arrested by British Transport Police on suspicion of immigration offences. He was spoken to by police twice in three days before the attempted killing. He was taken into custody but released when it was determined no offences had been committed as his asylum application was ongoing. A check on the Police National Computer database showed he was not wanted by any other force.
After a suspected mental health episode, Albashir was taken to hospital on March 15 and later released. On the evening of March 17, he was roaming the Headingley area of Leeds when he targeted the lone victim as she left the pub, stabbing her in the chest and neck with a broken bottle.
Sentencing and political reaction
Albashir pleaded guilty to attempted murder in March and was sentenced on Tuesday, August 25. Judge Robin Mairs told him his illness was "not the sole cause" of his offending and noted a "sexual element" to the attack.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: "It's shameful that France allowed this man to roam free and eventually cross the Channel. Sadly, stories like this are all too common. Dangerous young male illegal immigrants are flooding across the Channel and going on to commit crimes. Women and girls here are not safe as a result. This evil man has not only ruined his victim's life but will now cost British taxpayers millions to keep in prison and hospital."
Tory justice spokesman Nick Timothy added: "This monster should never have been in our country in the first place - and there were clearly missed opportunities to stop him before he conducted this vile attack."
The Home Office declined to provide details about Albashir's entry into Britain. A spokesman said: "This Government will not allow foreign criminals and illegal immigrants to exploit our laws, which is why we are reforming human rights laws allowing us to scale up deportations."
