Yahoo News Knifeman who tried to kill estranged father in row over inheritance jailed for life
An estranged son who drove more than 200 miles to launch a frenzied late-night knife attack on his own father has been handed a life sentence.
Abdul Rouf suffered multiple stab wounds and spent 15 days in intensive care after his eldest son from his first marriage, Shahnaz Hussain, drove from South Wales and lay in wait in his back garden.
When Mr Rouf went to the back door for a cigarette in April last year Hussain, who was wearing dark clothing with his lower face covered, attacked him with a hunting knife causing life-threatening injuries to his abdomen and liver.
Bradford Crown Court heard during a trial in February how Mr Rouf, then aged 52, was left in a pool of blood on his kitchen floor and Judge Jonathon Gibson said on Monday that without the prompt administration of first aid and hospital treatment by police officers, paramedics and surgeons, the victim would not have survived.
Hussain, 34, of Robert Street, Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, had denied charges of attempted murder and possession of a knife, but on the fourth day of his trial he entered guilty pleas in front of the jury. The prosecution said that Hussain resented his father for re-marrying following a divorce and that he had started to demand his inheritance.
Mr Rouf said he believed his son intended to kill him because he wouldn’t do what he wanted about the inheritance. He suggested that his son may have mental health issues and said the threats had intensified over the last four or five years.
When armed police later stopped Hussain’s car as he drove back to South Wales after the attack they found a knife with blood on it matching Mr Rouf’s DNA.
In a victim impact statement made last July Mr Rouf said he had struggled with the fact that his own son had attacked him. He said he had nightmares about the incident and flashbacks when he walked into his kitchen.
The court heard that Hussain changed his pleas after a mobile phone recording came to light relating to him visiting his father’s home in Harrogate Terrace, Bradford, while the victim was working abroad. During that visit Hussain said he had disowned his father and made threats to murder both his father and his second wife.
Barrister Gary Bell KC, for Hussain, said his client had formed the view that his father had ruined his life and subjected him to physical and mental abuse. He said Hussain had tried to seek mediation for the family, but when his father refused that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Mr Bell said Hussain had expressed remorse and accepted that it was a terrible thing for him to have done.
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Judge Gibson said Hussain had had a extremely strong grievance against his father arising from his divorce and subsequent re-marriage. The judge said Hussain had been ruminating on the wrongs he perceived his father had done to him and had become utterly preoccupied by those thoughts.
The court heard that Hussain had driven up to Bradford with his own wife and her three children and had packed the hunting knife in a ruck sack along with dark clothing and sunglasses to use as a disguise.
Judge Gibson said when Mr Rouf went out for a smoke at around 11pm, Hussain had launched a frenzied attack on him. He said the offence had been pre-planned and premeditated and added: ”I am satisfied your offence is so serious that a sentence of life imprisonment is required and that’s the sentence that I impose.”
The judge said Hussain would have to serve a minimum jail term of 12 years and 345 days before the Parole Board would consider whether it was safe to release him.
