Birmingham mosque knifeman to be held in secure hospital

Mohamoud Elmi, 32, launched the frenzied attack at Madrassa Qasim Ul Uloom mosque, in Small Heath, Birmingham last June because the congregation was 'praying too loudly'.

Pc Adam Koch attended the scene and tried to wrestle him to the ground but was stabbed repeatedly by the Somalian national with a commando-style knife.

The West Midlands Police officer suffered multiple stab wounds but still bravely managed to disarm the knifeman.

Last week unemployed Elmi, from Ward End, Birmingham, went on trial accused of attempted murder of a police officer and another man as well as wounding with intent.

Yesterday he was found not guilty on all counts after a jury ruled he was insane.

Birmingham Crown Court was told by one mental health consultant the attack was the 'worst case of psychotic behaviour' he had ever witnessed in his career.

Judge Mrs Justice Sue Carr said she would pass a hospital order today committing Elmi to a secure mental unit.

After the case Chief Superintendent Alex Murray said Pc Koch and his partner Pc Jean Stevens displayed 'outstanding bravery and professionalism'.

He said: "Two people had already been stabbed – Pc Koch rushed at the attacker and put his own safety on the line to protect others.

"He suffered serious injuries but his actions undoubtedly prevented other worshippers being hurt and potentially killed.

"This was an exceptional piece of police work but is just one example of the countless acts of bravery and dedication displayed by officers on a daily basis across the West Midlands."

The court was told eyewitnesses heard Elmi scream 'Allah is going to punish you all' before plunging the six-inch large combat knife into a fellow worshipper's groin at 11pm on June 15.

One 28-year-old worshipper was stabbed seven times before a 36-year-old man was slashed across the thigh leaving him with a six-inch wound.

Despite the officer shooting Elmi with a 50,000-volt Taser, he still managed to lash out to stab Pc Koch in the chest and stomach.

Remarkably, the injured officer – who was wearing a stab-proof vest – managed to arrest the suspect at the scene before being rushed to hospital himself.

After making a miraculous recovery from his injuries Pc Koch later described his ordeal.

He recalled: "I remember the man charging towards me with the knife, then falling to the floor and wrestling with him as he tried thrusting the knife into my back my stab vest saved me from suffering further injuries.

"I managed to grab hold of his wrist and eventually disarm him – it was only then that my partner told me I'd been stabbed and blood was running from my shirt.

"I didn't feel anything at the time – the adrenaline took over and my focus was purely on stopping this man causing any more damage.

"Thankfully my injuries weren't as bad as they could have been."

Birmingham and Solihull Mental NHS Foundation Trust confirmed that an inquiry had been held into the care received by Elmi, who was discharged eight months before the stabbings.

The Trust said in a statement: "The tragic incident involving PC Adam Koch, Tahir Mumtaz, and Zakaria Bhayat, involved innocent members of the public and a police officer.

"After the incident our Trust conducted a thorough investigation and review into the care and treatment of Mohamoud Elmi leading up to the incident.

"Our review highlighted a number of lessons for us, which have since been acted upon."

The issues highlighted by the review included the need for greater involvement and input from families and GPs before and after patients are discharged.

Other areas of learning identified in the review centred on better record-keeping, particularly when patients are transferred from in-patient to community teams.

Elmi will only be released once experts deem he is no longer a danger to the public.