An Afghan migrant has admitted to the manslaughter of a dog walker in a "frenzied" attack, with a court accepting that he was suffering from a psychotic state and abnormality of mental functioning at the time.
Dawood Safi, 23, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Wayne Broadhurst, who was killed in Midhurst Gardens in Uxbridge on October 27, 2025. Safi also admitted lesser charges of grievous bodily harm with intent concerning his landlord, Shahzad Farrukh, and actual bodily harm against a 14-year-old boy.
Despite the manslaughter plea being accepted by the prosecution, Safi will still face trial for the attempted murder of both Mr. Farrukh and the teenager. Prosecuting counsel Jonathan Laidlaw KC stated that four medical experts concluded Safi experienced "an abnormality of mental functioning" during the attacks, leading to the decision not to pursue a murder charge.
"He was in a psychotic state, in other words he had lost contact with reality and he was unable to distinguish what was real and what was not," Mr. Laidlaw told the court. He added that the "random, nonsensical and frenzied nature" of the killing supported the assessment that Safi was "acutely unwell."
Mr. Laidlaw acknowledged that Mr. Broadhurst's family had wished for Safi to be found guilty of murder. Safi, who was lodging with Mr. Farrukh, was found with a large knife at the property. Mr. Broadhurst, who did not know Safi, was attacked while walking his dog and died at the scene from multiple stab wounds.
Safi entered the UK in a lorry in 2020 and was granted asylum in 2022, according to the Home Office. Mr. Broadhurst, 49, sustained approximately 14 stab wounds. Mr. Farrukh suffered injuries described as life-changing. Police were called to reports of a triple stabbing around 5 p.m. on October 27, 2025. Mr. Broadhurst was an employee of Greener Ealing, a company providing waste disposal and grounds maintenance services.
Safi also pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon. The trial for the attempted murder charges is scheduled to proceed. Police assessed Safi upon his arrival in custody and he later required hospital treatment following a medical episode.