Knifeman who almost killed Preston boxer in frenzied attack over £20 debt jailed
The knifeman who almost killed Preston boxer Usman Sajid in a frenzied attack over a £20 debt has been jailed for more than 12 years.
Qusai Abdalla was told by a judge that he had come close to receiving a life sentence following the vicious assault at the house the two men shared in Ingol.
Mr Sajid lost so much blood from at least three deep wounds that he had to be placed in an induced coma in hospital and required eight blood transfusions during emergency surgery for a punctured lung and internal bleeding.
Abdalla was initially charged with attempted murder but pleaded guilty to a lesser offence of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm the day before he was due to stand trial.
Judge Heather Lloyd, who imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from having any future contact with Mr Sajid, heard this was not the first time Abdalla had used a knife.
The 27-year-old, who spent part of his childhood in a war zone in Yemen and later became involved in London gang culture, was sentenced to seven years in a young offenders’ institution in 2017 for stabbing two men during a drug deal in Winchester.
The court heard Abdalla moved to Lancashire in an attempt to leave that lifestyle behind. However, after moving into a housing association shared property in Tag Croft, Ingol, he continued down the same path.
Mr Sajid was left with “life-threatening” injuries, according to the hospital consultant who treated him following the attack.
“I have no doubt that you are a dangerous offender and pose a significant risk,” said Judge Lloyd, sentencing him to 12 years and four months in prison, with an additional four years and eight months on extended licence.
She added that had he been convicted of a more serious offence, she would have had “no hesitation” in imposing a life sentence.
Abdalla must serve at least two-thirds of the 12-year, four-month sentence - more than eight years - before he can apply for parole.
However, the judge warned him it did not guarantee he would be released automatically, he would only be freed on licence if he was no longer considered a risk.
The court was told that Abdalla and Mr Sajid gave conflicting accounts of what happened on the September night they clashed over a £20 debt on the landing between their rooms.
Abdalla claimed his housemate had threatened him and caused the altercation.
Mr Sajid said it had been the other way round after Abdalla pushed his way into his room demanding he pay back £20 he had borrowed.
There was no dispute, however, that Abdalla inflicted serious stab wounds on Mr Sajid, leaving him bleeding from the head, upper arm and chest.
Judge Lloyd heard that Mr Sajid initially stayed in his room after the attack and tried to clean some of the blood from the carpet.
Realising how badly injured he was, he eventually left to seek help.
He managed to walk about half a mile to a petrol station on Tag Lane, where he spoke to two people. As they talked he slumped to the floor and emergency services were called.
Mr Sajid's condition deteriorated so quickly in the ambulance taking him to Blackpool Victoria Hospital that paramedics had to administer emergency treatment.
Abdalla was arrested the following night at a friend’s house in New Rough Hey.
His mobile phone has never been recovered and prosecutors suggested it had been deliberately disposed of.
It was claimed that Abdalla had got one of his friends to give him a lift to McDonalds on Preston Docks after the stabbing.
He had also asked him to drive him back to Tag Croft to pick up his belongings so he could “effectively disappear” but they turned round when they saw the police.
Mr Sajid’s injuries were described as “very serious.” He sustained multiple stab wounds to the head, chest and left arm, along with significant internal bleeding.
He received eight units of blood during hospital treatment.
In his victim statements Mr Sajid said he had ongoing problems with his breathing as a result of the lung puncture and issues with his left arm which still caused him pain.
He said he had flashbacks and nightmares about the attack as well as stress and anxiety. He said he couldn’t stop thinking about what happened and kept playing it over and over in his mind.
He revealed that after he realised he was seriously injured he kept thinking about his children and thinking he was going to die. He had since needed counselling.
“What makes it even harder is I feel sorry for him (Abdalla) because I thought he was my friend. The effect it has had on me has completely changed who I am.
“For the sake of a bit of money he has damaged my physically and mentally.”
Defence barrister Mark Stephenson told the judge: “He knows he is going to be spending some considerable time in custody.
“He is not without intelligence, but it is unfortunate he has set upon a (criminal) path at a relatively young age. This is serious offending.”
He added that Abdalla now wanted to set himself on a path to better himself, possibly taking an Open University course.
“That was the intention when he came to Preston, to get away from the gang culture (in London) which he struggled to get away from.
“He is sorry for the injuries that were caused to the complainant.”
Judge Lloyd said references submitted to her on behalf of Abdalla made references to the mistakes he had made in his life.
But she told him: “You may have made mistakes because we all do. But your offending is no mistake and certainly not what you did to Mr Sajid.
“This is not the first time you have been in possession of or used a knife. When he was in his room you forced your way in with a knife, repeatedly stabbing and slashing at his head and body.
“When interviewed by police you denied being the person responsible for his injuries. You said he was the one who was violent.
“Mr Sajid nearly died. He was in hospital eight days and he still bears the scars both physically and mentally.
“Your offending in the past has been quite deliberate and your attack on Mr Sajid was quite deliberate.”