Dawood Safi, 28, has been found guilty by a jury at Southwark Crown Court of attempting to murder his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, in a brutal attack that left the victim fighting for his life. This conviction comes just months after Safi pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of dog walker Wayne Broadhurst, a case in which diminished responsibility was cited due to his experiencing a psychotic state.
The attempted murder charge relates to an incident on 27 October 2025 in Uxbridge, where Farrukh discovered Safi armed with a large kitchen knife at approximately 4:45 PM. The victim suffered puncture wounds to his back and chest before Safi went on to attack a neighbouring family and a 14-year-old boy.
Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw KC revealed that in the days leading up to the attacks, Safi had been struggling with a 'depressive psychosis', which led him to seek mental health assistance at Hillingdon Hospital. However, despite his reported hearing voices and experiencing paranoia, the prosecution argued that this did not negate his capacity to form an intent to kill.
Safi has also admitted to charges of actual bodily harm, wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and possession of an offensive weapon in connection with the same incident. The jury is still deliberating on a charge of attempting to murder the 14-year-old boy who was attacked alongside Farrukh.