Teenager travelled over 150 miles from Leeds to kill man he accused of stalking

An 18-year-old has admitted murder after purchasing a knife and travelling more than 150 miles to fatally stab a man accused by his family of stalking.

Afghan refugee Sulaiman Tajzai, from Leeds, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday to murdering 26-year-old Farmanullah Sherzad, the Metropolitan Police confirmed.

Tajzai also admitted a charge of possessing a bladed article and will be sentenced at the same court on 18 September.

Jurors previously heard that on 27 March, Tajzai bought the weapon near his address in Leeds before making the trip to Westminster, central London, that same day.

Upon arrival, he attacked and repeatedly stabbed Mr Sherzad, who had been the subject of numerous complaints from the teenager’s family.

Police were called to Abbey Orchard Street shortly before 10.15pm following reports of a stabbing. Mr Sherzad died at the scene from multiple wounds.

CCTV footage captured Tajzai arriving at King’s Cross station and mapped his walk across London to the victim's home.

The trial heard Mr Sherzad left work at 10pm and cycled back to his address, where Tajzai was already waiting.

CCTV footage shows there was a scuffle near Mr Sherzad’s house, and that he ran “screaming for his life” as Tajzai attacked him, Lisa Wilding KC said.

Tajzai ran away from the scene and tried to catch a train back to Leeds from King’s Cross station, however missed it and got onto another one just after 6am the following day.

He was arrested at his cousin’s house in Leeds on March 29 and police officers searched the address, seizing multiple items belonging to him including a pair of blood-stained trainers.

The alleged animosity against Mr Sherzad was said to have dated back to the autumn of 2025.

The prosecutor said there was a clear “pre-existing connection” between the defendant’s cousin’s wife and Mr Sherzad which had “turned sour”.

The cousin and his wife had reported him to police in Leeds in September last year, showing an officer an image of the victim and text messages in Arabic.

When spoken to privately, the wife deleted the texts, refused to sign a statement and left the police station.

Last October 3, police officers attended the couple’s home in Leeds and found Mr Sherzad sitting on the floor with his wrists tied together with fabric and no shoes on, jurors heard.

Mr Sherzad was arrested on suspicion of stalking and trespass with intent to commit a sexual offence, the court heard.

However, he went on to claim to be in a relationship with the wife, saying he had come to Leeds to visit after she had invited him on social media platform Snapchat.

Following his release, the defendant’s cousin and his wife contacted the police multiple times and were later told there would be “no further action” against Mr Sherzad.

CCTV footage revealed that Tajzai had travelled to London in the weeks before the attack to scope out Mr Sherzad’s home address and where he worked, the police said.

In a statement issued after Tajzai pleaded guilty, Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, who led the investigation, said: “This is a devastating case in which a young man lost his life after being subjected to a brutal and senseless act of violence.

“No family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one in such circumstances.”