An Afghan migrant, Suliaman Tajzai, 18, is accused of traveling nearly 200 miles from Leeds to London to allegedly murder 26-year-old Farmanullah Sherzad on March 27, 2026. The incident occurred near Westminster Abbey, where Tajzai reportedly chased Sherzad through the Peabody Estate. Upon police arrival, Sherzad was found with a large kitchen knife embedded in his chest.
Tajzai, who arrived in the UK from France over four years ago, claimed to be 14 during his asylum interview but was assigned a birth date by the Home Office in 2023. Prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC stated that Tajzai entered the UK illegally on August 1, 2022, and claimed asylum the following day. He was granted temporary leave to remain until January 2029.
Wilding described Tajzai's actions as premeditated, stating he had traveled to London on three occasions to locate Sherzad and had purchased the knife used in the attack. On the day of the murder, Tajzai allegedly confronted Sherzad in a sustained attack that resulted in his death.
The court also heard about a prior incident involving Tajzai and his cousin, Zakirullah Tarakhail, who had previously tied up Sherzad over allegations of inappropriate messaging with Tarakhail's wife. The police had dropped the case against Sherzad after finding insufficient evidence. Wilding suggested that Tajzai and Tarakhail's actions were motivated by anger or revenge. Tajzai denies the charges of murder and possession of a knife in a public place.