Pictured, the New Year’s Eve station slasher
Jihadist gets life for knife rampage
‘Just like an animal’
A TERRORIST who stabbed three people while shouting ‘long live the caliphate’ was jailed for at least 11 years yesterday.
Police released the first picture of Mahdi Mohamud as the 26-year-old was sentenced for his New Year’s eve rampage at a station.
He knifed two revellers and then a policeman who came to their aid. Sergeant Lee Valentine, 31, was stabbed in the shoulder but was saved from serious injury by his five layers of clothing.
Manchester Crown Court was told Mohamud had paranoid schizophrenia that may have been triggered by smoking cannabis. His lawyers argued the attack was a response to the delusions brought on by his illness.
However Mr Justice StuartSmith declared it ‘beyond question’ a terrorist attack. He said Mohamud bore responsibility – and knew right from wrong – even if his mental problems helped radicalise and disinhibit him.
He pointed out that Mohamud had tried to delete incriminating documents from his phone, was determined to take part in jihad and had planned the attack carefully. The judge said these factors would justify a 45year sentence but for the ‘contributory effect’ of his mental illness and his guilty plea to three counts of attempted murder.
It was reduced to 22 years, of which a prisoner would normally serve half. Dutch-born Mohamud will begin his life sentence in a highsecurity psychiatric hospital – with a minimum term of 11 years.
Detective Superintendent Will Chatterton, who is head of investigations for Counter-Terrorism Policing North West, said it was lucky the attack happened last New Year’s eve because extra police and security staff were on duty at Victoria Station in Manchester.
‘I’d like to thank the officers who were on the scene in a matter of seconds, bravely trying to detain Mohamud despite the Taser and captor spray having no immediate effect on him,’ he said following the sentencing hearing.
‘I have no doubt that their quick actions prevented more people from coming to harm.’
Chilling CCTV footage showed Mohamud approaching Anna Charlton, 57, and James Knox, 52, from behind as they prepared to board a tram home. Shouting ‘long live the caliphate’, he stabbed them both.
Alerted by Miss Charlton’s screams, Sgt Valentine and his unarmed British Transport Police colleagues – who were not issued with Tasers as they were still on probation – sprinted to the scene.
The barbs of Sgt Valentine’s Taser struck the padded jacket Mohamud had specifically chosen for his attack, meaning they had no effect.
There was insufficient time for the officer to reload and the fanatic was able to stab him in the shoulder. Police are now issued with Tasers that can fire again immediately.
Sgt Valentine said Mohamud had a blank expression during the attack ‘just like an animal’.
Miss Charlton suffered a 10in wound to her face and a collapsed lung, while Mr Knox’s skull was fractured by the knife blows.
Both were discharged from hospital four days later.
In a letter presented to the court, Mohamud’s Somalian father thanked police for ensuring the attack ‘wasn’t even worse’. ‘I believe that if it wasn’t for Mahdi’s mental health illness, he would not have done these awful acts,’ he said.
Mohamud, who achieved a firstclass degree in mechanical engineering at Leeds University, was given a concurrent four-year sentence for possessing terror-related documents.
He will remain in hospital until his mental state has recovered sufficiently for him to be transferred to prison to complete his sentence.
He carried out the attack after walking from his home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester.