Jail sentence for knife attacker who stabbed female and brave taxi driver who came to her aid

A man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison following a triple stabbing in Watford, during which a woman almost lost her life.

Khaled Ahmed, aged 39, of no fixed address in London, was jailed at St Albans Crown Court on Tuesday 4 February having previously pleaded guilty to three counts of GBH and one count of possession of an offensive weapon.

Shortly after 3.15am on Wednesday 3 July, 2019 police received a call from the ambulance service, stating they were attending a report of a multiple stabbing outside a restaurant in Vicarage Road.

On arrival, it was reported to police officers that Ahmed had been seen to repeatedly stab a 36-year-old woman, following a family meeting.

A taxi driver intervened and was also attacked by Ahmed, receiving superficial stab wounds. The woman’s nephew then presented himself to officers at the scene, stating Ahmed had stabbed him, before turning the knife on the woman as she attempted to run away.

(Khalid Ahmed)

She received nine separate wounds and was taken to hospital in a critical condition. She was not expected to survive.

Her nephew sustained a wound to his hip and permanent injury to his hand when he attempted to grab the knife from Ahmed. It was later revealed to detectives that the incident had unfolded following a disagreement over a family marriage and that threats had previously been made to the woman and her family.

Ahmed had met the woman and her nephew at a restaurant in the area that evening to discuss the issue and had then carried out the attack as the trio left.

Ahmed fled the area in a taxi, to an address in Barnet. He then handed himself into a London police station later that evening and was subsequently arrested.

He was sentenced to the following, to run consecutively:

• 10 years for the attack on the woman

• Five years for the attack on her nephew

• Three years for the attack on the taxi driver.

Additionally, he was given 12 months for possession of an offensive weapon, to run concurrently.

Detective Constable Marius Edghill, from the Watford Local Crime Unit, investigated the case and said: “This was a despicable attack which almost cost a woman her life.

"Thankfully, following extensive surgery, she has been able to recover from her injuries, but will never get over the emotional trauma of what happened to her. Her nephew has also been left with permanent injuries as a result.

“I would like to commend the bravery of the taxi driver who stepped in to intervene on the night. If it hadn’t been for him, the outcome could have been very different.”

Image credit: Hertfordshire Police