A paranoid schizophrenic who doused to elderly worshippers in petrol before setting them alight as they walked home from their local mosques has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order.
Mohammed Abbkr, 29, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, was found guilty to two counts of attempted murder in November last year after he attacked 82-year-old Hashi Odowa and 70-year-old Mohammed Rayaz.
Terrifying CCTV footage captured the twisted attacker stalking his elderly victims with lighter fluid in his rucksack before approaching them in two separate attacks – one in London and the other in Birmingham.
Sentencing Abbkr, who has paranoid schizophrenia and believed people possessed by evil spirits were controlling him, Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: ‘The nature of each attack was identical. You threw petrol over your victims and then set them alight – the attacks were horrific.
‘The two victims in this case were, on any rational view, chosen at random,’ the judge added. ‘You, however, genuinely believed each of them was one of those trying to take control of you.
‘I am wholly satisfied that you committed both of these offences at a time when you were suffering a severe mental illness.’
Abbkr, who is being treated at Ashworth high security hospital in Merseyside, watched the proceedings by video-link.
Mohammed Abbkr, 29, was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court
This is the heartbreaking image the family of devoted grandfather Mohammed Rayaz want the world to see
Burnt clothing belonging to Mr Rayaz after the horrific attack, in a photo issued by police
Shocking images of Mr Rayaz’s family taken 24 hours after the family man was targeted showed him lying at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with bandages covering his wounds.
At the time the photo was taken, the pensioner was unable to open his eyes, hear or speak. When he eventually regained strength, the first question he asked his son was: ‘Why did he attack me? I didn’t do anything to him.’
Abbkr had come to the UK from Sudan in 2017 seeking asylum before being granted indefinite leave to remain in 2019. Mr Rayaz’s sons previously questioned why the UK Government allowed him to say.
‘All of us blame the Government and the Home Office,’ his son Mohammed said. ‘They should have done their checks.’
The father-of-two spent four weeks in hospital, returning weekly to get his bandages changed as he continues the grueling battle to get back to full health. Doctors said it will take around two years for his skin to fully heal.
He must stay out of UV light and wear a cap. He has since been diagnosed with PTSD and depression.
Speaking previously his son Mohammed added: ‘He’s not the same as he was mentally and physically. We hope that time will heal and that the attacker gets a long time in prison.
‘As a family, it has affected three generations – from grandfather, father to grandchildren. As a family we are grateful to the jury and the public for their support and well-wishers. But this will stay with us all of our lives.’
The grandfather and devoted Muslim had completed his sunset prayers at Dudley Road mosque on March 20 last year and decided to stay behind to read more of the Quran on the eve of Ramdan.
Yet unbeknownst to him, Mr Rayaz was being watched intensely by Abbkr. The criminal stalked Mr Rayaz as he left the mosque before stopping to ask his victim whether he spoke Arabic.
Abbkr was found guilty of attempting to murder Hashi Odowa, 82, (pictured) and Mr Rayaz, 70, in separate attacks earlier this year
Pictured: Mr Rayaz, who was set alight as he left a mosque in March this year and has suffered life-changing injuries
MAbbkr, 29, was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder at Birmingham Crown Court today after setting fire to elderly worshippers. Abbkr is pictured in a court sketch in October
When Mr Rayaz tells him he speaks Urdu and Punjabi, he can then be seen being sprayed with fuel from a bottle before being engulfed in a ball of flames.
The callous attack came a month after the 29-year-old had travelled to London where he also doused Mr Odowa in petrol before setting him on fire as he left prayers at the West London Islamic Centre in Ealing.
The paranoid schizophrenic targeted Mr Odowa in London after he failed to recognise him, telling him – ‘I swear in the name of Allah you will know me.’
After his arrest, Akkbr was diagnosed as suffering from paranoid schizophrenia involving persecutory and religious delusions.
Following his trial Judge Melbourne Inman KC the Recorder of Birmingham, told the court he wanted to hear further psychiatric evidence before considering a proposal to sentence Abbkr, of Edgbaston, to a hospital order.
In police interview, Mr Rayaz told how he thought he was going to die after being covered with a light coloured liquid and having a lighter held to his neck.
He said: ‘I never saw him come up behind me or from the right or left He came in front of me and started to attack me. I tried to carry on. He had something in his hand and I wondered whether it was a knife and he was going to attack me with a knife.
‘He just quickly threw something on me. The flames have gone up. I did not know what to do. I just tried to pull off my clothing. I was screaming for help but nobody came.’
Video played to the jury during the trial at Birmingham Crown Court has now been released by West Midlands Police. It shows Mohammad Abbkr arriving and praying at West London Islamic Centre, in Ealing, ahead of the first incident on February 27 2023
CCTV footage from February 27 last year shows Abbkr leaving the West Ealing Islamic Centre, London, after a prayer service and before his attack on Mr Odowa
Abbkr, who battles with paranoid schizophrenia, allegedly targeted Mr Odowa when he failed to recognise him, telling him: ‘I swear in the name of Allah you will know me’
As he leaves the mosque a fireball can be seen in the distance as Mr Odowa was set alight, causing burns to his ears and hands
His son Mohammed previously told of how his father had kept a beard for 20 years after completing Hajj – a religious pilgrimage.
O’n that evening seeing my father’s beautiful white beard all burnt off, eyes and lips swollen up, hands burnt and seeing him half naked with no clothes on the upper body was just a very traumatic and life changing moment,’ he said.
‘No words can describe that moment the emotions which I was feeling, I felt so helpless and weak, no son or daughter should see their father or mother in that state.
‘The unlawful use of violence and intimidation on two elderly people, in two different cities after Islamic prayers and after two separate mosques in my view were all planned in advance and carried out with precision with no concern if the victim lives or dies.
Mohammed added that his elderly mother was ‘still traumatised’ and fears the attacker ‘will be released early’ and come back to ‘finish the job’ or attack the rest of the family.
His brother Adnaan added: ‘Seeing the CCTV video of my dad being set on fire, his screams of pain and then reliving the visuals to the build-up of the attack and then after the attack will be with me forever.
‘I would describe the attacker as a coward, this coward does not belong to any religion, society or even humanity.
Abbkr also sprayed petrol on Mr Rayaz and left him ‘engulfed in flames from head to foot’ because he did not speak Arabic, jurors were told
Abbkr admitted being the person responsible for setting both men alight but denied attempted murder and administering a destructive thing with intent to endanger life
Mr Rayaz described in his police interview being attacked as he left Dudley Road mosque, where he had been a regular for 15 years. He said: ‘I never saw him come up behind me or from the right or left. He came in front of me and started to attack me. I tried to carry on’
‘This impact of emotions which I have shared with you will be felt by me and my family for a very long time to come and will remain with me for the rest of my life.’
Describing the attack that took place month earlier, Mr Odowa said: ‘He approached me from the right. I did not know where he came from. He walked beside me.
‘He asked me my name in English. I said why do you want to know my name. He asked me ‘Do you not recognise me?’ I had never seen him in my life. The man said in Arabic ‘I swear in the name of Allah in the name of God you will know me’.
‘I felt like he wanted to threaten me. The man then got closer to me. I saw him shake the bottle. He was targeting my face and then he poured the petrol from top down. I put my hand up to my face.
‘I was looking at my neighbour. I was lucky. Then he lit the flame it caught the left side of my face. I do not know what he used to start the fire with. I remember a big flame.
Mr Rayaz, 70, is pictured arriving for a prayer service at the Dudley Road Mosque
Abbkr (red arrow) is pictured following Mr Rayaz (blue arrow) after leaving a prayer service at the Dudley Road Mosque
CCTV footage shows Abbkr (red arrow) following Mr Rayaz (blue arrow), 70 after leaving a prayer service at the Dudley Road Mosque
A photo of the backpack, which was seized by police, reveals the contents of the bag which include lighter fluid in a plastic water bottle, a lighter with a cannabis leaf design and a pair of blades
‘I remember removing my jacket to get the flames off. My vest was on fire and I took it off. That is when I realised god had saved me. There were many people in the street. They were scared and they ran away.
‘I tried to grab the man but could not.. He was gone. I heard my neighbour shouting to call the police. An ambulance came and that was the first time I felt the pain.’
Throughout his Akkbr’s trial, prosecutor Nicholas de la Poer KC said ‘the defendant intended to kill Mr Odowa and Mr Rayaz when he attacked them’.
He added: ‘The defendant has denied this and on his behalf it is contended that he was suffering from delusions at the time and had not intended to kill a human being.
‘Mr Rayaz survived the defendant’s attack but he was less fortunate than Mr Odowa.
‘He suffered more serious burns, injuries particularly to his head. He was in hospital for a number of weeks following the attack.
‘It is the prosecution case that when the defendant threw petrol on Mr Rayaz and set fire to him and then added further petrol to the flames, he was intending to kill him.’