Uber driver detained indefinitely after fatal Uxbridge stabbing

Dawood Safi, an Uber driver, has been ordered to be detained indefinitely at a secure psychiatric hospital after fatally stabbing a dog walker and attacking two other individuals in Uxbridge. Safi admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility for the death of Wayne Broadhurst, who was stabbed 14 times in an incident on October 27 last year.

Details of the attack

The court heard that Safi, 28, attacked Mr Broadhurst, 49, a street cleaner for Ealing Council, in Midhurst Gardens, Uxbridge. Minutes before this attack, Safi had also assaulted his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and a 14-year-old boy. Safi was described as appearing "possessed" during the incidents, which occurred while he was experiencing paranoid delusions and hearing voices.

Safi pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility, attempted murder of Mr Farrukh, and actual bodily harm against the teenage boy. He also admitted possession of a knife. Mr Farrukh suffered stab wounds to his neck and chest, including a punctured lung, but survived the prolonged struggle. The 14-year-old boy was also stabbed when he intervened.

Court's decision and recommendations

At Southwark Crown Court, Mrs Justice Cutts ordered Safi's indefinite detention in a secure hospital for mental health treatment, stating he was in a "psychotic state" at the time of the offences. The judge also recommended Safi be deported, noting his continued presence in the UK was "to its detriment", with the final decision to be made by the Home Secretary.

The court was told Safi, an Afghan refugee who arrived in the UK in November 2020, had experienced a significant decline in his mental health in the days leading up to the stabbings. He had sought help from his GP, Hillingdon Hospital, and Hayes police station prior to the events. Medical assessments concluded he was suffering from psychotic depression.

Mr Broadhurst's partner, Ann Newman, told the court she had "a future stolen from me" and described the daily struggle with grief. Her sister, Laura Ireland-Cochrane, expressed the family's difficulty in accepting the manslaughter conviction over murder and the worry that Safi could be released if his mental health improves.

Mrs Justice Cutts acknowledged the "devastating" impact on Mr Broadhurst's family, describing the victim as "a hard-working and decent man who was deeply loved".