Moment knife-waving asylum seeker goes on horror rampage in Morrisons | UK | News
This is the moment of horror at Morrisons when an asylum seeker went on a rampage, smashing red wine bottles and brandishing a large knife, forcing staff and customers to evacuate. The mind-boggling corridor antics of 22-year-old Afghan Milad Panjshiri were revealed when he entered the store in Bradford, West York, brandishing a six-inch knife.
Disturbing footage filmed inside Morrisons shows an angry Panjshiri throwing wine bottles to the floor and sending broken glass everywhere. An Afghan national brandished a knife at a female staff member and dozens of customers, including elderly people, had to be removed from the store for their own safety.
Bradford Crown Court heard Panjshiri stabbed cans and pushed shelves full of wine bottles during a temper tantrum on December 5 last year. The judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but said he could only serve “40%” of the time given.
A worker saw him “slamming the knife on his leg” before approaching a female employee and swinging the knife at her.
Staff later told police they panicked and burst into tears as they tried to get confused customers out of the store. The court heard some members of the public were at a loss as to what to do as chaos ensued.
Police were called just before 11am to reports of a man wielding a knife causing damage to the supermarket. Officers later arrested Panjshiri and seized the gun.
Cowardly Panjishiri, of Deneside Terrace, Bradford, West Yorks, refused to leave his prison cell to serve his sentence and was dealt with in his absence.
In mitigation, Fuad Arshad said mental health issues were a factor in Panjshiri’s behavior and told the court there was no evidence he was trying to attack members of the public.
Sentencing the Afghan national to 18 months in prison, Recorder Tony Watkin described the incident as a “deeply disturbing offence” and “something akin to outrage”.
He added: “He was brandishing that knife in a public place and there can be no more serious examples of aggression of this nature than what happened that day.
“There will no doubt be an increased awareness from other incidents that have occurred from both staff and the public that something like this has occurred.”
The judge said that while Panjshiri was in custody, prison staff raised concerns about violence, psychosis, improvised weapons and non-confrontation.
Recorder Watkin added: “It will potentially serve 40 per cent of the population [his] sentence. I don’t know if he will remain in prison given his immigration status. “This is beyond the knowledge of this court.”
