Teenager who travelled over 150 miles from Leeds to London to kill alleged stalker admits murder

A teenager who purchased a knife and travelled more than 150 miles to confront and fatally stab a man his family had accused of stalking has admitted murder.

Afghan refugee Sulaiman Tajzai, 18, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday to the murder of 26-year-old Farmanullah Sherzad, the Metropolitan Police said.

Tajzai, of Leeds, also admitted a charge of possession of a bladed article and is due to be sentenced at the same court on September 18.

Jurors previously heard that on March 27, Tajzai bought the weapon from a shop near his home in Leeds and travelled to the victim’s address in Westminster, central London, that same day.

It was heard he attacked and repeatedly stabbed Mr Sherzad, who had been the subject of multiple complaints by family members.

Officers were called to reports of a stabbing on Abbey Orchard Street shortly before 10.15pm. Mr Sherzad suffered multiple stab wounds and died from his injuries.

Tajzai was caught on CCTV arriving at London’s King’s Cross station and was tracked on CCTV walking across London before reaching Mr Sherzad’s home.

The victim left work at 10pm and cycled home where Tajzai was waiting for him, the trial was told.

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.”

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