Ibrahim Albashir, 34, has been detained indefinitely in a secure mental hospital after attempting to murder a woman in a frenzied attack with a broken glass bottle in Leeds.
Leeds Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Albashir grabbed the victim from behind as she walked home after eating a meal out in Leeds in March 2024. He stabbed her as many as 30 times with the glass.
The attack was only stopped when members of the public and nearby security staff intervened. One man punched Albashir so hard he was temporarily knocked unconscious.
Indefinite hospital order and 25-year prison term
Albashir, who has catatonic schizophrenia, admitted attempted murder at an earlier hearing. Judge Robin Mairs imposed a 25-year prison sentence alongside an indefinite hospital order.
The judge said Albashir will be detained in a secure mental hospital indefinitely and, if he ever recovers sufficiently to be discharged, he will be transferred to prison to serve the remainder of his sentence.
The attack happened opposite the Original Oak pub on Otley Road in Headingley at about 9pm on March 17, 2024. Albashir grabbed the woman from behind in a stranglehold and attacked her with broken glass, causing injuries to her head, neck and chest.
Sexual element to attack
One witness described the attack as "frenzied", while another said they thought Albashir was trying to kill the woman. The judge said it was "by good fortune alone" that the victim escaped with relatively minor physical injuries, but said her mental scars are "profound and lifelong".
Judge Mairs also raised concerns about Albashir's sexual conduct, including an alleged sexual assault at a Birmingham hotel and another incident involving a member of staff while he was detained in hospital. He said Albashir had also exposed himself to a doctor.
Addressing Albashir, the judge said: "It is of significance you chose to attack a lone female." He added: "The common sense conclusion is that there was a sexual element to the attack."
Victim's statement
The woman, now 32, listened from the public gallery as her victim personal statement was read to the court. She said her physical injuries may have been relatively minor, but added: "My mental injuries are scars that will stay with me forever and will always affect me."
She said a scar on her chest was a "constant reminder" of what happened and that being asked about it meant she had to relive "the worst day of my life all over again". She said she still had no idea why Albashir attacked her and that not knowing why made the ordeal difficult to process.
Walking past the location of the attack now "fills me with panic and dread", she said, adding that it had completely changed the way she lives her life.
Consultant forensic psychiatrist Lucy Bacon told the court that doctors agreed Albashir had catatonic schizophrenia. Katherine Robinson, defending, said the offence "would not have occurred had this defendant not been experiencing a psychotic episode", but said the attack must have been a "completely horrific and terrifying event" for the victim.
Albashir appeared at the sentencing hearing via video link from hospital. Detective Inspector Richard James, of West Yorkshire Police, said: "Albashir has approached a lone woman and subjected her to a ferocious, sustained attack which has only stopped thanks to the intervention of these security staff."
He added: "Thankfully they heard the victim's screams and rushed to her aid, potentially putting themselves in harm's way to protect her. They have not only detained Albashir but also treated the victim's injuries until the attendance of paramedics. Without their actions, this could very easily have been a murder investigation."
