Dawood Safi was charged with murdering Wayne Broadhurst and the attempted murder of his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and a boy aged 14 in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge
Sketch of Dawood Safi at Westminster Magistrates’ Court(Image: PA)
A man has admitted to killing a random dog walker as he was “unable to distinguish was was real and what was not”.
Dawood Safi, 23, has also admitted to stabbing his landlord and a teenage boy during an episode of “abnormal mental functioning”. He was initially charged with murdering Wayne Broadhurst and with the attempted murder of his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, 45, and a 14-year-old boy.
The “frenzied” attacks took place in Midhurst Gardens in Uxbridge, west London, on October 27 last year. Today, Southwark Crown Court saw Safi plead guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Broadhurst on the basis of “diminished responsibility” due to his psychotic state.
Previously, he admitted lesser charges of grievous bodily harm with intent relating to Mr Farrukh and actual bodily harm in relation to the boy. Safi will still stand trial for the attempted murder of Mr Farrukh and the 14-year-old while his manslaughter pleas were “accepted” by the prosecution.
Jonathan Laidlaw KC, prosecuting, told the court that four separate medical experts said Safi was experiencing “an abnormality of mental functioning” at the time of the attacks. Mr Laidlaw said that, due to this, the prosecution will not pursue the murder charge.
He said: “He was in a psychotic state, in other words he had lost contact with reality and he was unable to distinguish what was real and what was not.” He added that the experts found that the “random, nonsensical and frenzied nature” of the killing supported Safi being “acutely unwell”.
Mr Laidlaw also acknowledged to the court that Mr Broadhurst’s family wanted to see Safi found guilty of murder. Safi, an Afghan immigrant, lived with Mr Farrukh as his lodger at an address in Midhurst Gardens.
He was found armed with a large knife in the annex of the property on October 27. Safi then attacked Mr Broadhurst, who was unknown to him, as he happened to be walking past with his dog, an earlier hearing was told.
He died at the scene after suffering multiple stab wounds including to his neck, chest and side. Safi also pleaded guilty to one count of possessing an offensive weapon and will face trial for the two counts of attempted murder this afternoon.
Safi entered the UK in a lorry in 2020 before claiming asylum, which was granted in 2022, the Home Office previously confirmed.
