Horrendous knife attack on West End cops

A police officer told how he had blood ‘bubbling out of his chest’ after he and a female colleague were stabbed in the West End.

Mohammed Rahman, 25, repeatedly knifed PCs Alannah Mulhall and Joseph Gerrard in Soho on 16 September 2022, after he mugged a man in the street.

The officers were dealing with another incident after a woman’s drink had been had been spiked in a nightclub.

PC Mulhall, along with another female police officer, approached Rahman who refused to take his hands out of his pockets.

‘What are you going to do if I don’t?’ he said.

PC Mulhall and her colleague called for assistance of two male colleagues who were in the nightclub itself, one of which was PC Gerrard.

Rahman pulled out the knife but police tasers had no effect because of the thick clothes he was wearing.

Holding the knife above his head, Rahman began to get closer to the officers and stabbed PC Gerrard in the arm.

He then turned towards PC Mulhall and stabbed her in the right arm with the knife cutting through to the bone.

Bodyworn footage shows the officers covered in blood before bare-footed Rahman is finally restrained with a Taser.

PC Mulhall said: ‘He was holding the knife above his head and Jo is in the road.

‘He has gone to create distance, but a taxi has pulled up at the same time.

‘Jo has collided with the taxi and from the angle I was standing at, I could not see if he had stabbed Jo or not, so I did not know Jo had been stabbed at the time.

‘I remember thinking that the suspect was going to kill Jo at the time, he was not messing around, he was going to stab him, so I have hit him in the back.

‘I have turned to run and he has just ran up to me and driven the knife into my arm and I have not had enough time to react.

‘That is when you know you have been stabbed and then it is ten seconds of a weird, nothing is happening.

‘I remember when I was stabbed, I didn’t look at my arm, I knew I had been stabbed because it felt like I had been punched really hard, I knew he had a knife, I saw the blood on the floor and I could feel the blood coming down my arm.’

The officers but Rahman continued to approach them.

More officers arrived at the scene, and Rahman was once again tasered, this time there was a partial effect, as he hit the floor, with the knife spinning out in front of him.

In an attempt to get the knife away, PC Gerrard kicked the knife back on two occasions, but the knife flipped over his foot and Rahman got up once again

He knocked PC Gerrard to the ground and began repeatedly stabbing the defenceless officer.

In total, he stabbed him between 11 and 12 times, with four of those stabbings getting through his stab proof vest.

He was stabbed in the back of the neck behind the ear, in the arm for the second time, in the ribs and in the centre of his chest, leaving him with a collapsed lung and losing serious amounts of blood.

Paramedics later told him, he had just three minutes to survive had officers not began life saving CPR.

He said: ‘I then broke off and he has got tasered again and he hit the floor.

‘I remember a security guard gathering me from behind from one of the nightclubs nearby and at this point I could see blood all over me.

‘I have got to the side, I noticed I am really struggling to breathe at this point.

‘I just could not get my breath.

‘More colleagues at this point just kept turning up and kept turning up, he is now detained on the floor.

‘They have cut all my gear off me and they have noticed the amount of stab wounds I had.

‘I was looking down at my chest and I could see the blood bubbling and the air coming out of my chest.

‘I was struggling to breathe at that time, so I knew how serious it was at that stage.

‘Then my colleagues were just all giving me CPR, trying to block the blood coming out of each stab wound and waiting for the ambulance to show up really.’

PC Mulhall had five months off work while recovering from her arm injury, before five months of desk work.

She is now back on the streets.

PC Gerrard was away from work for over a year and is on desk duty only but is desperate to get back on the beat.

When asked, both officers did not hesitate to say they wanted to get back into work as soon as possible.

PC Mulhall said: ‘For me it was a bit like a rollercoaster, there were some days where I could not wait to get back to work and other days.

‘I fixate a lot that Jo could have lost his life and even now I have good days and bad days, more good days and bad, I still want to be here.

PC Gerrard said: ‘For me, I have been using it as a goal really.

‘I have just been setting goals, I’ll get over this injury first and then I can do this and then I can get back to work and now I am back doing office duties, well the next stage is to get back out there really.’

Rahman, of Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, denied but was convicted of a jury of attempted murder and GBH with intent in relation to PC Gerrard and PC Mulhall.

He was also convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of threatening a person in a public place with a bladed article, relating to three other constables, possession of a bladed article and robbery.

Rahman was jailed for life with a minimum of 20 years for repeatedly stabbing two police officers in London’s West End.

Rahman, 25, knifed PC Joseph Gerrard three times in the neck and once in the neck three days before the Queen’s funeral last September.

He then stabbed PC Alannah Mulhall through the arm when she tried to tackle Rahman near Leicester Square.

Horrifying police bodyworn footage shows the officers covered in blood before bare-footed Rahman is finally restrained with a Taser.

Sentencing Judge Rajeev Shetty said: ‘There is considerable uncertainty as to whether your mental health condition is ongoing or not.

‘The accounts you have given were not consistent.

‘I do take into account you have no previous convictions for weapons or for violence.

‘The sheer nature and ferocity of attacks on the police here, leave me to the clear conclusion that you are dangerous.

‘This offending was extremely serious, you took on police officers with intent to kill and came fairly close to doing so.

‘They (the officers) were not physical or aggressive, but cautious.

‘Your response to them, was chilling: ‘or what, or what?’

‘You were seen chasing police officers down Rupert Street.

‘You pose a high risk to the public, anyone who is unhinged enough to attack police officers poses a greater threat to the public.

‘I have concluded that a life sentence is justified.’

Judge Shetty addressed the brave officers in court, adding: ‘Finally to the police officers, I think it is important that I say the following things.

‘It is rare police get much appreciation or thanks.

‘This case brings the attention to the courts that there is a huge amount of bravery in being a police officer.

‘Two female officers here confronted and tried to deal with a fully grown man who was far bigger than them.

‘It should not be taken for granted and it is no exaggeration to say you put your bodies on the line.

‘For that exceptional bravery it is my view to award commendations to PCs Mulhall, Wilson, Gerrard and Morgan.’

Rahman, of Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, denied but was convicted of a jury of attempted murder and GBH with intent in relation to PC Gerrard and PC Mulhall.

He was also convicted of assault causing actual bodily harm, two counts of threatening a person in a public place with a bladed article, relating to three other constables, possession of a bladed article and robbery.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.

Before Rahman was sentenced PC Gerrard said: ‘The incident has had a massive effect on my life.

‘While I was in hospital, I felt like I had to put on a brave face to my worried friends and family.

‘I have been stiff with pain since, I am constantly having to take pain killers.

‘I had to have my gf wash me with a sponge everyday.

‘I could not do anything for myself.

‘Not only was this painful, it was slightly humiliating.

‘The best way to improve my lung would be to exercise, but I could not exercise due to my other injuries.

‘I think about the injuries I have because of the male that attacked me.

‘I see news articles all the time about knife crime and people dying, and I think how lucky I am to have survived five stab wounds.

‘There is not much that has happened in my life since, I enjoy work and I am proud to be a police officer.

‘My family have been affected, both my mother and my gf are currently speaking to councillors.

‘I am concerned about the worry they may have when I do return to work.

‘My whole life has come to a standstill, I am usually really active on my days off work, currently I cannot do any activity.

‘Some nights I cannot sleep, the incident happened in work so my employer the Met Police, are aware.

‘It has been a long frustrating year.

‘I honestly just want this to be over and done, I am sick and tired of the rehab.

‘I don’t like this incident being the only talking point of my life.’

PC Gerrard had always wanted to go scuba diving but has been advised against it since the attack.

‘I have now found out that my lung would likely collapse if I ever went scuba diving, which is very frustrating at my age.

‘It has been looming on me, having to face the man who stabbed me, especially as he has shown zero remorse.

‘You never know, it could be your last day.’

PC Mulhall said: ‘I became a police officer for the purest intentions, I wanted to stop bad things happening to good people.

’16 September was like something I have never experienced before.

‘I completely lost my appetite.

‘I completely lost all my independence and dignity and to be frank, it was embarrassing at times.

‘Looking back, I do not know what I would have done if my mother was not there.

‘I spent hours worrying about everything.

‘I cried for endless hours to my mother.

‘I spent evenings thinking that before the incident that could have been the last thing I said to my family.

‘After the incident, I cried for 96 days in a row.

‘I am also very grateful that PC Gerrard and I did not lose our lives that day.

‘I hold a lot of guilt around the incident, as I was the one who pressed the emergency button.

‘PC Gerrard is not just my colleague, he is someone I consider a good friend.

‘I don’t quite know how he survived, I thought PC Gerrard was going to die that morning.

’16 September 2022 really showed me how short life is.

‘One day I hope to get married as I always told myself I want to have a wedding dress without sleeves, this is no longer the case, why would I want to be reminded of that day.

‘I have found that I have become quite angry with the world after what happened

‘I reflect on it daily that had it not been for the other officers, I would not be here right now, I would be dead.

‘This past year, I have mastered the art of putting on a brave face and pretending I am ok, I am not ok.

‘One day I hope to be more than just a girl who got stabbed, but right now that is all I am.

‘People often comment on my scar, someone even said to me: ‘He got me good.’

‘How Jo and I have got away with this with just the injuries I have, I will never know.

‘I hope one day I feel better again.’

Defending Rahman, Chris Henley, KC said: ‘Mohammed Rahman is still a relatively young man, he is 25.

‘There had been a growing sense of concern caused by his behaviour.

‘Mr Rahman comes from a very well respected and respectful law-abiding family.’

The court heard Rahman had been drinking and doing ‘balloon, after balloon, after balloon of nitrous oxide’ on the night of the attack.

At the age of 16, Rahman was involved in a serious moped incident which left him with a badly broken leg and arm.

Since then he has been in chronic pain, the court heard.

‘He turned to cannabis and started drinking which he had to hide from his Muslim parents.

‘He blocked out the emptiness with nitrous oxide, which at the time was not a prohibited substance, it is now.’

Mr Henley also read out a letter from Rahman to the officers he attacked.

It read: ‘I am writing this letter as an apology to all the victims as an apology for my actions.

‘I wish everyday, I could go back and change what happened.

‘I pray they could find it in their hearts to forgive me for what happened.

‘I have let my family down, I have let my community down and I cannot believe what has happened, because this is so out of character.

‘I have nothing against the police, I always appreciate what they do for us.

‘The day of the incident, my friends and my family got me sectioned as my mental health had completely deteriorated.

‘I went to a shop to buy some snacks, I saw a knife on the counter, and I put it in my pocket, I highly regret this action and all that happened since.

‘This was so out of character, I have always tried to help people.

‘I am not a violent person.

‘I never intended to go down such a horrible path.

‘I wish to pay back the victims, my family and my community, I promise that I will never do anything again, apologies for letting everyone down.’