An Afghan asylum seeker who tried to murder a complete stranger while ‘fuelled’ by a desire to kill English people was jailed for 19 years. The Dailymail reported that Samiulahaq Akbari, 22, was caught on CCTV walking into the Tesco Extra in Thornton Heath, south London, on January 8.
Akbari tapped a customer on the shoulder and asked for his nationality. He then took a swing swing at the victim, Mr Speight, with a ten-inch kitchen knife when he said he was from the UK. Mr Speight managed to kick Akbari off when he leapt on him and miraculously escaped from the scuffle without a mark on him.
Just ten minutes earlier Akbari had pulled a knife on two other men in separate establishments on the same road in Croydon and was said to be ‘fuelled with the same intention’. Akbari was convicted of attempted murder over the rampage which took place just 12 days after he was released from prison for another assault. Judge Mark Dennis QC jailed him yesterday for 19 years.
Akbari claimed he was ‘too drunk’ to form any intention to kill but the prosecutor said his actions were ‘deliberate and considered’. Ms Stonecliffe read extracts from transcripts of the ‘frantic’ 999 calls made by Akbari’s cousin in which he tells the operator: ‘He said he wants to kill the English people. I can see his eyes, he’s serious.’
Giving evidence, Akbari claimed he ‘had not taken his medication’ and was drunk at the time.
