Man sentenced for attempted murder of his landlord in Croydon

A man has been sentenced for attempting to kill his landlord in a violent attack in Croydon, following a Met Police investigation.

Ibrahim Ahmed, 24 (26.10.2001) of Field Way, Croydon, was found guilty of attempted murder on Tuesday, 16 September after an seven-day trial at Croydon Crown Court.

On Thursday, 18 December at the same court Ahmed was sentenced to 21 years' imprisonment and five years on licence, with a minimum of 14 years.

On Sunday, 2 February the victim, a man in his 40s, was found by members of the public lying in the road near his home in Croydon. He had life-threatening stab wounds to the chest after being attacked by Ahmed.

One stab wound was so severe it caused the victim's lung to collapse.

On Tuesday, 4 February, Ahmed was arrested and on Wednesday, 5 February he was charged with attempted murder. He was remanded into custody until the start of his trial on Monday, 8 September.

Detective Constable Simona Stankute, who polices Croydon and led the investigation, said: "We hope today's sentence will provide a sense of justice to the victim, who has shown exceptional bravery throughout this investigation.

"I'd like to thank the members of the public who rushed to the victim's aid immediately after the incident - without them, it's impossible to know what the victim's condition would've been when emergency services arrived."

Detective Inspector Danielle Power, the senior investigator in this case, said: "My heartfelt thanks go to the prosecution team led by the Crown Prosecution Service and their great work throughout this investigation.

"I'd also like to echo the sentiments by my colleague about the residents who provided first aid to the victim, and also offer my thanks to our colleagues in the London Ambulance Service. Without their timely and expert care, the victim could have certainly lost his life."

The court heard that on Sunday, 2 February the victim returned home from work and Ahmed brutally stabbed him with a knife, on his doorstep, in an unprovoked attack. Ahmed fled the scene, leaving the victim to attempt to seek help where he then collapsed in the street.

Police and the London Ambulance Service responded following 999 calls from local residents, who performed first aid on the victim until the emergency services arrived.