Esayas Neguse, 37, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison after attempting to kill his lawyer, 71-year-old Muhammad Shoaib, in a brutal knife attack at the solicitor’s office in Glasgow. Neguse arrived unannounced at the law firm on September 21, 2022, and, within seconds of being shown into Mr. Shoaib’s office, launched a vicious assault, stabbing the elderly lawyer in the chest with a kitchen knife.

The attack was interrupted by two of Mr. Shoaib’s colleagues, who managed to wrestle Neguse out of the office while suffering assaults themselves. Police officers passing by in a van noticed the struggle and intervened, finding Mr. Shoaib bleeding profusely on the office floor.

Mr. Shoaib was hospitalised overnight with a chest wound and an injury to his right hand, both of which he feared might be fatal. During the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, Neguse initially denied charges of attempted murder and assault. However, after Mr. Shoaib gave harrowing testimony, Neguse changed his plea to guilty.

In addition to the attempted murder, Neguse admitted to five other charges, including assaulting Mr. Shoaib’s colleagues, carrying a knife in public, behaving threateningly, and spitting on a police officer. Along with the prison sentence, he received an indefinite non-harassment order.

Officials praised the bravery of Mr. Shoaib’s colleagues, whose swift actions likely prevented a tragic outcome. Moira Orr of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service stated, “This was a shocking attack on a lawyer simply doing his job. The heroic actions of Mr. Shoaib’s colleagues undoubtedly saved lives.”

Detective Inspector Phill Kennedy echoed this sentiment, highlighting the stark contrast between the courage of the staff and the cowardice of the attacker.