Afghan teen asylum seeker sentenced to life for London knife murder

Afghan asylum seeker Sulaiman Tajzai, 18, was convicted of murdering 26-year-old shop employee Farmanullah Sherzad in Westminster after traveling from Leeds to London. The court heard Tajzai stalked Sherzad, believing he was a Taliban member and had targeted his cousin’s wife, prompting a pre-planned attack that left Sherzad with ten stab wounds. Judge Angela Rafferty sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum of 25 years, calling the assault "exceptionally violent" and likening the victim to prey.

Prosecutors detailed Tajzai’s false claim of entering the UK at age 14 and his history of trauma from village violence, while his lawyer argued he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Victim impact statements portrayed Sherzad as a courteous, hardworking cricket enthusiast. CCTV footage captured Tajzai’s arrival at King’s Cross station and his subsequent movements to the victim’s residence.