Knife-attacker Mohammed Rahman has been jailed for life after stabbing two police officers, leaving one of them fighting for his life.
Officers were attending an incident on London’s Leicester Square at 6am on September 16 last year when a man said he had been robbed of his phone at knife-point. Two female police officers approached Rahman but police say he refused to cooperate and was CS sprayed.
He suddenly made a lunge towards them before attempting to runaway. More police arrived at the scene following an urgent call for assistance and Rahman was Tasered, but it had little effect on the man.
Officers say they were unable to restrain 25-year-old Rahman as he continued to be violent. Further officers – including PC Joe Gerrard arrived shortly after.
PC Gerrard says he tried to strike Rahman with a baton. However, Rahman stabbed him five times to the head, arm and chest. The most serious, a wound to the chest, punctured PC Gerrard’s lung.
Officers fear that without quick treatment from paramedics PC Gerrard could have died. As the officers continually tried to arrest Rahman, PC Alannah Mulhall was stabbed. Rahman cut PC Mulhall through the muscle and down to her bone, leaving her needing surgery.
A third officer – who has not been named – suffered a wound to his finger. Through determination, officers managed to arrest Rahman.
In September, Rahman was found guilty of attempted murder and GBH. He was also convicted of possession of a bladed article, assault, threatening a person in a public place and robbery.
Speaking of the ordeal, PC Gerrard said: “We came across a male brandishing a knife towards our colleagues. Initially we shouted at the suspect to put the knife down.
“My colleague, Dave, he pulled a Taser on him and I tried to hit him with a baton, but he then stabbed me in the arm.
“Would I consider myself brave? No, not really. Officers deal with stuff like this every day in London, almost daily, the potential is always there for this situation to happen.”
PC Mulhall added: “I remember thinking he is going to kill him.
“I was scared, but you didn’t have time to think about things like that. It’s like fight or flight and we had a fight.
“He had a knife and he was actively trying to injure us.”
Rahman, of Westbourne Park Road in Notting Hill, will serve a minimum of 20 years after being sentenced at Kingston Crown Court. Both PC Gerrard and PC Mulhall have since returned to work.
Detective inspector Ollie Stride who led the Metropolitan Police investigation said: “Today’s sentencing of Rahman for the attempted murder of PC Joe Gerrard and the serious injury of PC Alannah Mulhall reflects the seriousness of his offences.
“The courage and bravery of Joe and Alannah, as well as the medical intervention of their colleagues, firearms officers and paramedics, prevented a much worse outcome.”
Detective inspector Ollie Stride who led the investigation said: “Today’s sentencing of Rahman for the attempted murder of PC Joe Gerrard and the serious injury of PC Alannah Mulhall reflects the seriousness of his offences.
“The courage and bravery of Joe and Alannah, as well as the medical intervention of their colleagues, firearms officers and paramedics, prevented a much worse outcome.
