Leeds pub security staff praised after stopping knife-like bottle attack on woman
Security staff at a Leeds pub helped stop a violent bottle attack on a woman who was walking home after a meal out in March
Security staff at a Leeds pub helped stop a violent bottle attack on a woman who was walking home after a meal out in March 2024. Police said the doormen’s quick response, triggered by her screams, prevented a far worse outcome.
Leeds Crown Court heard that the assault happened at about 21:00 GMT on 17 March 2024 opposite the Original Oak pub on Otley Road. The woman was grabbed from behind by Ibrahim Albashir, 34, in what the court described as a “frenzied” attack, with Albashir armed with a broken bottle.
Doormen heard the screams
The men on duty at the pub reacted after hearing what were described in court as blood-curdling screams. They moved in fast. Albashir was knocked unconscious in order to stop the attack, and police have since praised the actions of the security staff.
The case has drawn attention because it shows how quickly ordinary pub workers can become the first line of defence in a public emergency. In busy nightlife areas, that split-second decision can mean the difference between an injury and a killing.
Here, the victim was on her way home when the assault began. The court heard that Albashir seized her from behind in a stranglehold before launching the attack.
Sentence and hospital order
Albashir, who is originally from Sudan and has catatonic schizophrenia, admitted attempted murder at an earlier hearing. Judge Robin Mairs said he must serve a 25-year prison sentence alongside an indefinite hospital order.
That means he will be detained indefinitely in a secure mental hospital. If he ever recovers, he will be transferred to prison to serve the rest of the sentence.
Judge Mairs said it was not a matter for the court whether the defendant, who told doctors he was brought to the UK by people smugglers, is deported. He also made clear that the attack took place on the evening of 17 March 2024 in Leeds.
The court heard the staff at the Original Oak stepped in only after the woman’s screams broke the night. They acted fast. And they stopped him.
