Knifeman left seven injured in rampage

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the bar and he became very agitated. He was calmed down but when he left he was heavily in drink and unsteady on his feet and when a comment was made by a woman outside he made an abusive reply.

Sarah Wade, Carol Owlett and Fiona Haughey, were waiting for a taxi and when Ms Wade responded: “Go away little boy,” Nawaz produced the knife and ran at her, stabbing her repeatedly in the abdomen and chest.

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Ms Owlett had not seen the knife and thought he had only punched her friend, so struck the teenager on the back with her handbag. He then swung round and stabbed her in the arm before attacking Ms Haughey. A fourth woman nearby only managed to avoid being stabbed by hitting him with her walking stick.

Nawaz then turned on another woman, Fiona Moorhouse, as she went to see what had happened. She was cut on her neck but avoided further injury because she fainted.

By chance Nawaz then saw Mr French again as he walked past the pub looking for a taxi and he too was stabbed.

In a bizarre coincidence Majid Hussain, the brother-in-law of Nawaz’s first victim, was driving back from seeing him in hospital when he saw that attack and went to the aid of Mr French.

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He was stabbed in the shoulder but managed to overpower Nawaz as others rushed to help. The judge commended Mr Hussain for his actions.

He also commended Matthew Dykes and William Smith who helped to stem the flow of blood from the badly injured Sarah Wade, “probably saving her life”, and barmaid Keira Munday who held the door against Nawaz stopping him returning into the Livery Rooms.

John Ryder QC for Nawaz said those injured in “this horrifying incident” should know his “irrational and random behaviour on that night was the result of serious mental illness”.

Comment: Page 14.