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Man attacked friend in bed with axe then refused to explain why

Fadla pleaded guilty to attempted murder at the Old Bailey after attacking his friend with an axe: Metropolitan Police
Fadla pleaded guilty to attempted murder at the Old Bailey after attacking his friend with an axe: Metropolitan Police

A man who has never explained why he attacked his sleeping friend with an axe has been sentenced to a total of 20 years behind bars.

Mohammed Fadla pleaded guilty to attempted murder at the Old Bailey after striking his friend multiple times as he lay in bed in his home in Streatham, south London.

The assault left the victim with injuries across his head and ear – with officers saying it was purely a matter of luck that he remained alive after the incident.

Fadla went on to flee the scene in the van he was living in at the time, and eventually handed himself into police.

Since his arrest and throughout sentencing, Fadla has not been able to provide a reason for his attack – telling officers he does not remember it happening.

Over the course of his detention he said he suffered multiple mental health issues, police said in a statement.

Detective Constable Alex Atkinson, who led the investigation, said: “This was a brutal attack on a victim who was unable to protect himself as he lay defenceless on his bed.

“It is only a matter of luck that he did not lose his life.

“Fadla has been unable to provide us, or the court, with an explanation for his actions that day.

“However, he clearly has some understanding of what he did, as he contacted police soon after the assault and has pleaded guilty.”

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