Dog walker killer also guilty of attempted murder

A man who admitted stabbing a dog walker to death has also been found guilty of the attempted murder of his landlord.

Dawood Safi, 28, killed 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst on 27 October 2025 after attacking Shahzad Farrukh, 45, in Uxbridge.

He pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to the manslaughter of Broadhurst on the grounds of diminished responsibility. The prosecution accepted he had been in a psychotic state when it happened.

Safi also admitted actual bodily harm, wounding with intent to commit grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon. He was found guilty of Farrukh's murder, and the jury is deliberating on a second murder charge over the death of a 14-year-old boy.

Safi's trial, which continued for the attempted murder charges, heard he engaged in a violent struggle with Farrukh and the court was also shown CCTV material from neighbouring properties.

Safi, an Afghan refugee who arrived in the UK in a lorry in 2020, became Farrukh's lodger in an annex flat in Midhurst Gardens at the start of August 2025.

At around 16:45 GMT on 27 October, Farrukh opened the door to the annex and found Safi armed with a large kitchen knife, which he was then stabbed with.

A neighbouring family confronted Safi in the street after he had attacked the teenager and Farrukh, who was described by one witness as "staggering around covered in blood" with "puncture wounds to his back and chest area".

The court also heard he "couldn't breathe properly", due to his injuries.

It was at this point that Broadhurst, who worked as a street sweeper, appeared from an alleyway with his dog.

A pathologist found that he died "almost instantly" after suffering about 14 stab wounds to his neck, chest, back and side.

Safi was tasered and arrested by police minutes later.

The court heard Safi, who worked as an Uber driver, had become consumed by a "depressive psychosis" leading up to the attacks.

In the days prior to the stabbings, Safi had a mental health assessment at Hillingdon Hospital because he was "hearing voices" and also sought help at Hayes Police Station.

Jonathan Laidlaw KC, prosecuting, said Safi had believed Farrukh might help him thanks to his role with the police.

Laidlaw said: "The fact the defendant was no doubt in a psychotic state... does not mean he was incapable of forming an intention to kill."

He added: "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".

Safi was found guilty of the attempted murder of Farrukh by a jury at Southwark Crown Court.

Deliberations continue on the charge of attempting to murder the teenage boy.

When he was 10 years old, Safi had seen his father killed in Afghanistan over a land dispute.

Safi gave a false date of birth on his arrival to the UK, which would make him 23 now, but he is in fact 28, the prosecution said.

He was granted asylum in 2022, the Home Office previously confirmed.

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