Dawood Safi Guilty of Deadly Uxbridge Knife Rampage

An Afghan refugee who stabbed a devoted dog walker to death and attempted to murder his landlord during a psychotic knife rampage in West London has been convicted.

Dawood Safi, 28, was found guilty of the attempted murder of his landlord, 45-year-old Shahzad Farrukh, following a trial at Southwark Crown Court that concluded this week.

The verdict comes after the Uber driver had previously admitted the manslaughter of 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst on the grounds of diminished responsibility, alongside a guilty plea for assaulting a 14-year-old boy during the same violent episode.

The tragic events unfolded on the afternoon of October 27, 2025, when Safi, armed with a large kitchen knife, confronted Mr Farrukh at the property they shared in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge.

The court heard that Safi, who was living as a lodger in the annex of the home, launched an unprovoked attack on his landlord after expressing delusional beliefs that people were plotting against him and refusing to help him.

Mr Farrukh suffered life-changing injuries, sustaining multiple stab wounds to his neck, back, and chest, including a punctured lung, as the violence rapidly spilled out onto the street. It was during this escalation that Mr Broadhurst, who was walking his dog through a nearby alleyway and was entirely unknown to the attacker, tragically encountered the scene.

Witnesses, including local resident Daniella Jarvis who described Safi as looking "like he was possessed," detailed how Safi pursued the fleeing 49-year-old. He forced the victim to the ground before inflicting 14 stab wounds to his head, neck, chest, and back in what was described in court as a "butchering."

Despite the courageous intervention of local residents and the emergency first aid administered by police and paramedics, Mr Broadhurst died from his injuries at the scene.

When armed response officers arrived, Safi refused to drop his weapon and had to be Tasered before being taken into custody. Safi also inflicted knife wounds upon a 14-year-old boy who was caught up in the violence.

While Safi had pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm regarding the teenager, he stood trial for his attempted murder. On Friday, the jury failed to reach a verdict on this specific charge, and prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw KC confirmed the Crown Prosecution Service would not seek a retrial, allowing the count to lie on file.

The trial heard extensive medical evidence detailing the severe collapse of Safi’s mental health prior to the attacks. Four psychiatrists concluded that he was suffering from psychotic depression, hearing voices, and experiencing profound paranoia that substantially impaired his ability to form a rational judgment or exercise self-control.

This medical consensus led the prosecution to accept the lesser charge of manslaughter for the killing of Mr Broadhurst, a decision that David Malone, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London North, noted was made after careful review while acknowledging the profound devastation it brought to the victim's family.

The court was also informed of Safi's background, noting that he had entered the UK in the back of a lorry in 2020. He initially lied about his age, claiming to be a 17-year-old child before his true age was established, and was subsequently granted asylum by the Home Office in 2022.

He had told psychiatrists that his mental trauma was rooted in witnessing his father being murdered over a land dispute in Afghanistan when he was just ten years old.

Mrs Justice Johannah Cutts, who presided over the trial, paid special tribute to the "intense bravery" of the Rogers family, neighbours who courageously confronted the armed attacker rather than locking their doors in a desperate bid to save Mr Broadhurst’s life.

Following the conclusion of the trial, Mr Broadhurst's heartbroken family released a moving tribute to the passionate Liverpool Football Club supporter, describing him as a kind and caring man with a "heart of gold" who "never met a stranger."

They expressed that his loss has left an enormous void that can never be filled, adding, "Wayne will forever remain in our hearts and will never be forgotten. You'll Never Walk Alone."

Safi has been remanded to Broadmoor secure hospital for ongoing medical assessment and will return to Southwark Crown Court on October 5, where he faces either a substantial prison sentence or an indefinite hospital order.