This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-50558467
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Manchester Victoria station stabbings: Man admits attempted murder | Manchester Victoria station stabbings: Man admits attempted murder |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A man who launched a frenzied knife attack at a railway station has admitted trying to kill three people, including a police officer. | A man who launched a frenzied knife attack at a railway station has admitted trying to kill three people, including a police officer. |
| Mahdi Mohamud, 26, stabbed and slashed at a couple and then attacked Sgt Lee Valentine at Manchester Victoria railway station on New Year's Eve. | Mahdi Mohamud, 26, stabbed and slashed at a couple and then attacked Sgt Lee Valentine at Manchester Victoria railway station on New Year's Eve. |
| The couple's injuries included a punctured lung and a skull fracture. | The couple's injuries included a punctured lung and a skull fracture. |
| Mohamud pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to three counts of attempted murder and a terror offence. | Mohamud pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to three counts of attempted murder and a terror offence. |
| He admitted possession of a document or record likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and will be sentenced later. | |
| The court heard Mohamud, of Cheetham Hill in Manchester, walked up behind a man and a woman in their 50s shouting "Allahu Akbar" and "Long live the caliphate" as they headed for a tram platform shortly before 21:00 GMT on 31 December. | |
| He stabbed the man repeatedly in the back, shoulders and head and then slashed the woman across the face after the couple randomly crossed his path. | He stabbed the man repeatedly in the back, shoulders and head and then slashed the woman across the face after the couple randomly crossed his path. |
| The man suffered 13 injuries including a skull fracture while the woman's right lung was punctured and she suffered a slash to her forehead that cut down to the bone. | |
| British Transport Police officers and tram staff confronted Mohamud, who witnesses said was "like an animal" was "fixated" on stabbing and slashing. | British Transport Police officers and tram staff confronted Mohamud, who witnesses said was "like an animal" was "fixated" on stabbing and slashing. |
| Sgt Valentine, 31, shot Mohamud with his Taser but the barbs got stuck in the knifeman's coat and failed to paralyse him. | Sgt Valentine, 31, shot Mohamud with his Taser but the barbs got stuck in the knifeman's coat and failed to paralyse him. |
| The sergeant was stabbed in the shoulder before the suspect was wrestled to the ground and arrested. | The sergeant was stabbed in the shoulder before the suspect was wrestled to the ground and arrested. |
| Sgt Valentine said Mohamud was "dancing around, waving this knife around" before he started to run at the officers. | Sgt Valentine said Mohamud was "dancing around, waving this knife around" before he started to run at the officers. |
| "He probably closed a seven foot gap in half a second," he added. | "He probably closed a seven foot gap in half a second," he added. |
| "It was just like a dive, he flew, he probably jumped three or four foot off the ground and just sort of lunged, probably lunged at my head with his knife." | "It was just like a dive, he flew, he probably jumped three or four foot off the ground and just sort of lunged, probably lunged at my head with his knife." |
| A second kitchen knife was found in Mohamud's waistband. | A second kitchen knife was found in Mohamud's waistband. |
| Greater Manchester Police said officers recovered a large amount of "counter-terrorism mindset material", including images and a document about how to carry out knife attacks. | |
| The defendant, a Dutch national from a Somali family, had arrived in the UK aged nine and became radicalised online, the force said. |