Afghan Asylum Seeker in London Admits to Manslaughter; Court Convicts Him Due to Mental Disorder

Report

Dawoud Safi, an Afghan national and asylum seeker living in London, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 49-year-old Wayne Broadhurst following a fatal stabbing incident in the Uxbridge area. This plea was accepted based on the legal defense of "diminished responsibility due to mental disorder."

The incident occurred on the evening of October 27, 2025, at Midhurst Gardens in Uxbridge, West London. Broadhurst was attacked while walking his dog and died at the scene. Police stated that he had no prior acquaintance with Safi.

During the incident, a 45-year-old man and a 14-year-old teenager were also stabbed. The 45-year-old man—identified as Shahzad Farooq, Safi’s landlord—sustained serious, life-altering injuries, while the teenager was discharged from the hospital after treatment.

According to the UK Crown Prosecution Service, four psychiatrists diagnosed Safi with psychotic depression, stating that he was in a psychotic state at the time of the incident and his ability to exercise rational judgment was significantly impaired. Consequently, the prosecution agreed to accept his plea of ​​manslaughter.

However, the charges regarding the attacks on the other two individuals were handled separately. On July 16, 2026, a jury found Safi guilty of the attempted murder of Shahzad Farooq; the jury failed to reach a verdict on the charge of attempted murder regarding the 14-year-old teenager, and the prosecution announced it would not seek a retrial. Safi is scheduled to be sentenced at London’s Southwark Crown Court on October 5, 2026.

Important note: While the initial report stated Safi was 27 years old, official British police and prosecution sources now identify him as 28. Furthermore, the case status is no longer "under review"; the main part of the case reached a jury verdict in July 2026.