Dawood Safi given indefinite hospital order for Wayne Broadhurst manslaughter

Dawood Safi, an Afghan refugee, has been given an indefinite hospital order for the manslaughter of Wayne Broadhurst, a 49-year-old dog walker who was stabbed to death in Uxbridge, West London.

Safi, 28, came to the UK from Afghanistan in 2020, entering in a lorry, and was granted asylum two years later. He worked as an Uber driver. In the days before the attack, he sought help for his mental health from his GP surgery, a local hospital and the police. On the day of the stabbings he was in a psychotic state, hearing voices, consumed by paranoia, and believed his family were plotting against him.

Armed with a knife, he went to his landlord Shahzad Farooq's home in West London. When Mr Farooq opened the door, Safi stabbed him. He then ran into the street, where neighbours confronted him. One woman was praised by the judge for her bravery. Shortly afterwards he attacked a 14-year-old boy. Both Mr Farooq and the teenager survived.

Safi then spotted Wayne Broadhurst, who was walking his dog. He stabbed him in what the court described as a sustained, ferocious and unsurvivable attack. Mr Broadhurst, a council worker and street cleaner, was stabbed around 14 times and died at the scene with his dog by his side. CCTV showed neighbours running in fear and trying to fight Safi off. Police tasered him and arrested him minutes later, footage of which was played in court.

Safi admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility. At the sentencing hearing, Mrs Justice Cutts said she was satisfied on the evidence of all four psychiatrists that Safi was suffering from a mental disorder of a nature and degree that made detention in hospital for medical treatment appropriate. Dr Karthi confirmed a bed was available. The judge said the disorder was recurrent depressive disorder. At the time of the offence it was severe with psychotic symptoms, and those symptoms were only partially in remission.

The judge imposed a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act 1983 with a Section 41 restriction without limit of time on each offence, to run concurrently. She recommended deportation, saying that given the seriousness of his crimes she was satisfied his continued presence in the UK was to its detriment. Safi will remain in a secure hospital until the Home Secretary decides whether to deport him.

The judge said the consequences of Safi's actions had been devastating. Mr Broadhurst, she said, was a hardworking and decent man who was deeply loved, and his death had deeply affected his family and friends. One resident, Laura Wilshire, who knew Mr Broadhurst and his family, said the attack had affected the whole neighbourhood. She said Wayne had been out walking his dog at four in the afternoon and it was lucky it was the school holidays, otherwise schoolchildren would have been walking down the road.