11-year sentence for man who tried to murder his lawyer in office horror

Esayas Neguse launched a frenzied stabbing of 71-year-old Muhammad Shoaib

A man who tried to kill his lawyer in a frenzied knife attack at a Glasgow law office has been jailed for 11 years. Esayas Neguse, 37, stabbed Muhammad Shoaib, a 71-year-old solicitor at MS Solicitors, during an unprovoked attack that left the office floor soaked in blood.

The shocking incident unfolded in September 2022, when Neguse turned up at Shoaib’s office without an appointment. Despite this, Shoaib agreed to see him. What followed was a terrifying scene of violence. Without warning, Neguse pulled out a kitchen knife and stabbed Shoaib in the chest. He also inflicted a deep wound on the lawyer’s right hand.

Shoaib later told prosecutors he genuinely believed he was going to die. But his cries for help were heard by two colleagues in adjacent rooms. The pair rushed in and bravely tackled Neguse to the ground, attempting to restrain him and force him into the reception area. One was headbutted; the other had his hand bitten during the struggle.

The chaos was spotted by a passing police van. Officers rushed in and detained Neguse, who continued to lash out violently. After being taken to Govan police station, he shouted, swore, and acted aggressively towards custody staff. He then spat in a female officer’s face.

Shoaib was rushed to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where he received emergency treatment. His injuries, though not fatal, were serious, and the court heard how the attack left “considerable blood on his office floor.”

Neguse initially denied all charges and forced Shoaib to recount his ordeal in front of a jury. Midway through the trial at the High Court in Glasgow, however, he changed his plea to guilty.

He admitted to attempted murder, assaulting Shoaib’s colleagues, carrying a knife in public, behaving in a threatening manner, and spitting on a police officer.

The court also heard that Neguse had a disturbing criminal record, with 11 previous convictions between August 2018 and December 2021. The knife attack came shortly after his early release from a 12-month prison sentence.

Judge Lord Colbeck noted Neguse’s “significant history of mental illness” and said he seemed to comprehend the “gravity of the offences.” He handed down a 16-year extended sentence: 11 years in prison and five years on licence.

An indefinite non-harassment order was also issued, protecting Shoaib and his colleagues from further contact.

Moira Orr of the Crown Office praised the quick thinking and courage of Shoaib’s co-workers, saying, “Had it not been for their brave intervention, this attack could have had tragic repercussions.”

She added: “This was a shocking attack on a lawyer going about his everyday business. Esayas Neguse has now been held accountable and will spend a significant time behind bars for his criminal behaviour.”

The incident has sent shockwaves through Scotland’s legal community, where concern is growing over the increasing number of violent threats made against legal professionals.