Hero cop Sgt Youssef Serroukh tackled a maniac who had stabbed two children

A knifeman who slit a toddler’s throat and slashed another child across the face is facing jail.

Indian Kulvinder Ram, 49, tried to murder two children as they played together in Dagenham, east London, on 25 October 2024.

Ram then stabbed a woman in the neck as she tried to protect the youngsters during the bloodbath but all three survived their injuries, the Old Bailey heard.

He denied but was convicted of attempted murder in relation to the woman and the toddler.

Ram, who was assisted in court by a Punjabi interpreter, was cleared of attempting to murder the other child but convicted of causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.

He was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the attack but the prosecution argued he retained the ability to know what he was doing.

Ram had been behaving angrily for weeks and harboured a belief that people thought he was gay, the court heard.

The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, said he would have to decide if Ram should be imprisoned or given a hospital order.

Prosecutor Henrietta Paget, KC, earlier said Ram’s relatives had tried to get him help but he denied anything was wrong.

Ms Paget said: ‘On 25 October 2024, this defendant launched a brutal knife attack.’

Shortly after 5.30pm the woman who heard running on the street shouting that the man ‘was killing her’.

‘Eye-witnesses could see that she had a visible bleeding cut running from her neck to the top of her chest.

‘[The child] had a wound from the corner of her mouth towards her right ear.’

The woman suffered a 10cm incision to the side of her neck and defensive injuries to her hand.

The young child suffered a ‘vicious wound’ to her face, while the toddler ‘was found with his throat cut almost all the way around and was left fighting for his life.’

Ms Paget said: ‘A man called Youssef Serroukh happened to be passing by on his way home. By lucky chance he was a Police Community Support Officer and so had some training in what to do.

‘Mr Serroukh was able to detain Mr Ram. Bystanders had called the police.’

Another local tried to attend to the toddler.

‘He was covered in blood. It was obvious that he had a significant knife injury all around his throat and was losing a lot of blood.

‘When the police arrived, [the child] was being comforted. She was screaming.

‘She was treated by doctors from the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service and transferred to hospital.

[The toddler] had a gaping wound around his neck and had lost a lot of blood.

‘He had an elevated heart rate and low blood pressure, so was given a blood transfusion and ketamine for pain relief before being transferred to hospital.

‘[The woman] had collapsed to the ground as the police approached.’

The officers tried to stem bleeding to her neck and she was taken to hospital.

‘The defendant, who had been detained, became unresponsive. After considerable concern, attending paramedics concluded that he was pretending.

‘He was taken to Newham General Hospital to be checked over. Fortunately all was well and he was swiftly discharged into the custody of the police.

‘As was his right, Mr Ram chose not to answer questions or provide any account when he was interviewed by the police.’

The woman had an emergency operation to her neck.

The child needed an operation on the wound to her face and to her forearm and was in hospital until 5 November.

The toddler survived his injuries after a ‘long and complicated’ operation and being admitted to a Critical Care Unit.

Ms Paget said: ’Mr Ram has subsequently been found to have been suffering from schizophrenia. You will hear evidence about a palpable decline in Mr Ram’s mental health and wellbeing.

‘He was, on any view, behaving oddly. He was rearranging people’s shoes, he was fearful that there were cameras watching him and he had a bizarre perception that people thought he was gay.’

Relatives had tried to get Ram help but he denied anything was wrong, the court heard.

‘Expert forensic psychiatrists have been instructed in this case for the prosecution and the defence.

‘The agreed position is that he was mentally unwell, but not to the extent that he did not know what he was doing.’

A witness told police that Ram drank every day and had been behaving angrily for weeks.

Ram said he was a habitual drinker of tea made from unwashed poppy seeds and a small amount of morphine was found in his blood.

He says on the day of the incident he had been drinking vodka and the tea and was hearing voices in his heard.

He claims the children were stabbed inadvertently while he was trying to stab the woman, but says he did not intend to kill anyone or cause any serious harm.

Ms Paget said: ‘Contrary to those assertions, it is the crown’s case that as the evidence plainly shows, these were deliberate acts and can only have been committed by someone intending to kill or, at the very least, to cause really serious harm.

‘The injuries that this defendant inflicted speak for themselves.’

Ram, of Dagenham, denied three counts of attempted murder and three alternative charges of wounding with intent.

He will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.

Special Police Sergeant Seff Serroukh saw the woman and child running in the road, both covered in blood.

From a distance, he thought he was witnessing a Halloween prank, but as he got closer he realised the severity of what was in front of him.

The officer’s actions have been hailed as an extraordinary example of police bravery, with the off-duty sergeant putting the safety of others above his own.

Recalling the events of that day, SPS Serroukh, said: “I quickly ran towards them and was immediately struck by the extent of their injuries and the amount of blood.

“When I became aware children were involved, I knew I had to act quickly. I had no safety equipment, no colleagues to assist, but as a father and a police officer it was just a natural instinct to respond without hesitation, even without knowing the risk.

“As I approached the house, the suspect left the property and I managed to place him onto the ground with his hands behind his back, which was difficult as he was bigger and heavier than me.

“I was already on the phone to 999 and luckily I managed to keep him detained until colleagues arrived to take over.

“I have been in the MSC for six years but this was by far the hardest thing I’ve had to deal with. Most importantly the victims survived and I’m just glad someone was there to help when needed.”

Detective Constable Lewis Whitlock, who led the investigation, said: “This is a particularly distressing case and my thoughts remain with the victims as they continue to process what happened that day.

“Our investigation left us with no doubt that Ram intended to kill those he targeted, and we are pleased the jury has reached the same verdict based on the evidence we presented at court.

“I must also recognise the role of SPS Serroukh, who ran towards danger without any hesitation for his own personal safety. Without him, I have no doubt that Ram would have gone on to inflict further and most likely fatal injuries. His actions reflect the very best of the Met His bravery must be commended and I know the family extend their thanks to him too.

“Similarly, a member of the public who ran into the house and attempted to stem the bleeding of one of the victims played a major role in saving their life. Again, his efforts should be applauded and we hope he recognises how grateful we are for his intervention.”