Afghan migrant guilty of trying to murder landlord

An Afghan migrant has been found guilty of attempting to murder his landlord before killing a dog walker.

An Afghan migrant has been found guilty of attempting to murder his landlord before killing a dog walker. Dawood Safi, 28, has been convicted of trying to murder Shahzad Farrukh, before stabbing Wayne Broadhurst to death in Uxbridge, west London, in October. Safi pleaded guilty to manslaughter of Mr Broadhurst through diminished responsibility because of his psychotic state.

The prosecution accepted his manslaughter plea. He is also accused of attacking a 14-year-old boy with a knife, and the jury is continuing to deliberate on a charge of attempted murder regarding that offence. Southwark Crown Court heard Mr Farrukh, 45, was stabbed in the neck, and he and the injured teenager managed to get away as neighbours and passing members of the public attempted to stop Safi.

Victim attacked 'for no apparent reason' Prosecutor Jonathan Laidlaw KC said Mr Broadhurst had the "terrible misfortune" of walking by with his dog while Safi was on the rampage, and was attacked for no apparent reason. Safi has admitted grievous bodily harm with intent on Mr Farrukh and actual bodily harm against the teenage boy. The defendant has appeared for his trial by video-link from Broadmoor secure hospital.

The court heard Safi had lied about his age, claiming to be 17, when he arrived in the UK on the back of a lorry in 2020, and was granted asylum in 2022. He told a psychiatrist he had witnessed his father being murdered in a land dispute in Afghanistan when he was 10. ' Paranoia and delusional beliefs' Jonathan Laidlaw KC, prosecuting, said at the time of the Uxbridge stabbings Safi had suffered a "collapse in his mental health".

Mr Laidlaw said: "The defendant was hearing voices, he'd become consumed by paranoia and delusional beliefs which included that people generally and members of his family in this country were both controlling him and plotting against him." He moved into Mr Farrukh's annexe flat in Midhurst Gardens at the start of August 2025. In the three days before the stabbings, which happened on Oct 27 2025, Safi had attended an appointment with his GP, had a mental health assessment at Hillingdon Hospital and sought help at Hayes Police Station.

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