Bradford man was attacked with a knife by his own son

The court heard that “obsessive” Shahzan Hussain was said to have carefully planned his pre-meditated attack by driving hundreds of miles to Bradford from his home in Wales and then lying in wait outside his father’s back door.

Masked and dressed entirely in black he emerged from the darkness at about 11pm on April 19 last year and stabbed Abdul Rouf around a dozen times with a 15cm-long hunting knife.

Hussain drove from Wales to Bradford (Image: .)

The attack caused wounds that were so serious his internal organs could be seen moving through a large hole in his side.

Mr Rouf, now 53, who was found by paramedics and police lying in a pool of blood in the kitchen of his home in Harrogate Terrace, Undercliffe, was able to identify his eldest son as his would-be killer by his eyes, which were visible despite his facemask.

When he was arrested Hussain initially denied any involvement in the attack, which left his father needing emergency surgery and blood transfusions that saved his life.

He pleaded not guilty and the case went to trial, but after the emergence of CCTV footage that showed him threatening his father’s wife at their home, Hussain pleaded guilty on the fourth day of his trial.

Prosecutor Gerald Hendron said Hussain was the eldest of five children fathered by Mr Rouf as part of his first marriage, which broke down.

Hussain was said to have reacted extremely badly and felt that his father had abandoned his mother both emotionally and financially.

Over time Hussain became aggressive and threatening to his father. He felt he was entitled to money from him and that his inheritance should be paid now and not after his father was dead.

'You may not know me, but I know who you are'

In 2022 whilst Mr Rouf was working abroad Hussain turned up at his house and confronted his wife, threatening to kill her and his father, saying: “You may not know me, but I know who you are.”

He said he had been watching the house for several months and knew the family’s movements.

The doorstep threats were caught on CCTV from a neighbouring house.

Hussain also made threats to kill by telephone, but Mr Rouf did not report these to police as he felt Hussain “was still his son”.

On the night of the attack Mr Rouf was having a smoke at his back door when Hussain, who had secreted himself in the shadows, stepped forward and repeatedly lunged at his father with a knife, stabbing him “again and again”.

Mr Rouf fell backwards through the door into the kitchen suffering multiple stab wounds as he tried to fend off his attacker with his arms and legs.

The savage and sustained attack was witnessed by his wife, who later gave a “harrowing” account of what she witnessed. 

The stabbing happened on Harrogate Terrace in Undercliffe (Image: Google Street View)

After stabbing his father between 10 and 15 times Hussain fled the scene. He was arrested in the early hours in South Wales with his unwitting wife and children in the car.

A rucksack containing black clothing, as well as a knife stained with his father’s blood and body tissue, was discovered by police in the car.

Victim left suffering nightmares and flashbacks

In a statement read out in court, Mr Rouf said he still faced the physical and mental after-effects of the incident and struggled to come to terms with the fact that his own son had attacked him. He said the attack had left him suffering nightmares and flashbacks.

Mitigating for Hussain, Gary Bell KC said Hussain had formed the view that his father had ruined his life, “tyrannised” him by trying to force him into an arranged marriage and subjecting him to physical and mental abuse throughout his life.

That had had a “terrible effect” on his mental health, his judgment, and his decision-making.

He said his father’s refusal to attend mediation over his treatment was “the straw that broke the camel’s back and led ultimately to the offence for which Mr Hussain has to be sentenced today”.

He said Hussain had expressed “great remorse” and accepted that “it was wrong to do that to anybody let alone your own father.”

Sentencing 34-year-old Hussain to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years and 345 days to reflect the time spent on remand, His Honour Judge Jonathan Gibson said his offence was so serious that a life sentence was required.

The case was heard at Bradford Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

He described him as “utterly preoccupied” with his father’s perceived wrongs towards him, and that he had become “obsessive”.

He said: “You travelled from Wales to Bradford with the intention of killing your father.

“You launched a frenzied attack upon him using the knife, striking him repeatedly. Some of the blows caused grave injuries to him.

“The very nature of the attack and the severity of the wounds you caused are sufficient for me to conclude that you intended to kill him, and indeed you have admitted that intent by your guilty plea.

“There is no doubt in my mind that without the prompt treatment he would not have survived.”

Judge Gibson said despite his expressions of remorse Hussain remained a risk to his father and other family members, and that that risk was likely to carry on long into the future.

He also imposed a two-year sentence for possession of the knife, to be served concurrently. He ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the knife.

Heavily bearded Hussain, who appeared via video link from HMP Leeds, said “Thank you” after sentence was passed.

'The victim is lucky to be alive'

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Laura Casey of Bradford District CID, said: “This was a horrific and sustained attack and the victim is very lucky to be alive today.

“Hussain drove hundreds of miles to carry out the attack and had previously threatened the victim over a number of years.

“I hope today’s lengthy sentence provides the victim with some comfort in knowing that he will be behind bars for a very long time.

“West Yorkshire Police takes all reports of domestic abuse seriously and would encourage anyone who has been a victim to come forward and report it to us.”