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Ward End mosque attacker ruled to be insane | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A man who stabbed a policeman and worshippers at a mosque was insane at the time of the offences, a jury has ruled. | |
Mohamoud Elmi stabbed PC Adam Koch, and two worshippers in Ward End in Birmingham, last June. | |
PC Koch and the two men, who were stabbed repeatedly, survived. | PC Koch and the two men, who were stabbed repeatedly, survived. |
Elmi, 32, who was tried at Birmingham Crown Court, now faces a potentially indefinite period of detention in a secure hospital. | |
The court heard the defendant, who has paranoid schizophrenia, had declined treatment before the incident in the mosque. | |
Jurors deliberated for more than two days before returning verdicts that Elmi was not guilty of attempted murder by reason of insanity. | |
Taser discharged | |
However in reaching its decision, the jury ruled he had carried out acts that amounted to attempted murder and wounding. | |
Elmi's trial was told he had previously been treated for mental health problems but was discharged into the community before the attacks at the mosque. | |
The court heard the defendant, of Ward End Hall Grove, Washwood Heath, attacked worshippers on 15 June shortly after threatening two teenagers. | |
The prosecution said he raised a knife above Tahir Mumtaz, who was in a praying position, and repeatedly stabbed him. | |
Another man, Zakaria Bhayat, was injured when he tried to restrain Elmi, who then walked "calmly" into a washroom before returning to pray, it was said. | |
The trial was told PC Koch shouted to Elmi to warn him he had a Taser. | |
However, the defendant made his way towards the officer, holding a knife above his shoulder, and stabbed him several times despite the Taser being discharged. |