Man jailed for trying to kill lawyer in his Glasgow office
A man tried to kill his lawyer in his office by stabbing him in the chest with a kitchen knife has been jailed for 11 years. Esaya Neguse attacked Muhammad Shoaib leaving the 71 year-old fearing he was going to die.
Two colleagues tackled the 37 year-old before passing police caught sight of the struggle at MS Solicitors in Glasgow's southside on September 21 2022.
Mr Shoaib - a former Alba party council election candidate - fortunately survived having been stabbed in the chest.
Neguse initially stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of attempted murder.
But, after Mr Shoaib testified reliving his ordeal to jurors, Neguse pleaded guilty to the charge.
He was sentenced today at the High Court in Glasgow.
It emerged Neguse had only been on the streets at the time having been freed early from a previous 12-month jail-term. He had a total of 11 previous convictions.
Lord Colbeck today told Neguse: "You attempted to murder a solicitor representing your interests.
"You did so using a weapon that you were carrying for that purpose.
"I take into account a degree of planning was involved.
"On your account, you went with the intention of assaulting him.
"In my assessment, these factors are redolent of a high degree of culpability."
The court previously heard how the lawyer was at work that afternoon when Neguse turned up unannounced at the office in the city's Victoria Road.
Mr Shoaib still agreed to see him. Neguse followed him into his room.
The victim expected Neguse to take a seat, but instead he stood next to him and stated: "Muhammad, are you ok?".
The assailant then whipped out a kitchen knife from his pocket.
Mr Shoaib told jurors: "He started attacking towards my neck, then for a second time on my chest. I had to put my hand out to stop him."
The solicitor recalled Neguse mumbling something.
The victim added: "The blood was coming out my chest. It was like a shower of blood."
Mr Shoaib desperately screamed on his colleagues - fellow lawyer Muhammed Ibrahim and legal secretary Amin Syed - for help.
They got Neguse out of the room as he still clung onto the knife.
The victim meantime managed to dial 999.
Mr Shoaib: "I thought I was going to die. The whole floor was filled up with my blood. I was panicking."
CCTV footage showed Mr Ibrahim and My Syed - who were headbutted and bit by Neguse - deciding to drag the attacker out onto the street to attract the attention of police stopped at traffic lights.
The men yelled: "He has got a knife and he has stabbed him."
Neguse eventually let go of the weapon which had a blade of up to 6-inches.
The court heard Mr Shoaib suffered a stab wound to his chest.
He was able to leave hospital after treatment.
Neguse - from Eritrea in East Africa - also pleaded guilty in June to five other charges.
These were assaulting Mr Shoaib's colleagues, having a knife in a public place, behaving in a threatening manner and spitting on a police officer.
The hearing today/yesterday was told Neguse had changed his plea to guilty after viewing the CCTV of the incident during the trial.
Herbert Kerrigan KC, defending, added: "He expressed to me very clearly remorse for what he had done."
The defence advocate had originally travelled to the UK for "sanctuary...looking forward to his life" with his wife and child, but they both tragically drowned.
Mr Kerrigan also explained Neguse had previously suffered from mental health issues.
Lord Colbeck ordered Neguse be supervised for a further five years on his release.
He was further made subject of a non-harassment order banning him from approaching or contacting Mr Shoaib as well going near any office of MS Solicitors.
After the stabbing of Mr Shoaib, former First Minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said at the time he was "deeply upset with the news of the attack".
Mr Shoaib had previously stood in the 2022 council elections as the Alba candidate for the city's Pollokshields ward.
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