CCTV shows smiling killer buying knife hours before murdering man family member accused of stalking
Officers saw on CCTV that Tajzai had bought a knife from a corner shop in Leeds before travelling to London by train on the same day.
A killer was seen on CCTV buying a knife in a corner shop just hours before using it to murder a man his family member had accused of stalking.
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Sulaiman Tajzai, 18, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey on Friday, September 11, to murder and possession of a bladed article.
Police were called to reports of a stabbing on Abbey Orchard Street, Westminster, on Friday, March 27, 2026, and found Farmanullah Sherzad, 26, unconscious.
Despite the efforts of medical staff, he died at the scene around 20 minutes later.
Officers saw on CCTV that Tajzai had bought a knife from a corner shop in Leeds before travelling to London by train on the same day.
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Further footage showed Tajzai waiting outside Mr Sherzad's address when he arrived home from work at around 10.15pm.
Upon seeing Tajzai, Mr Sherzad attempted to flee, but Tajzai chased him onto Abbey Orchard Street, where he fatally stabbed him.
After the attack, Tajzai fled the scene, dropping a pair of black gloves near St James' Park.
After forensic examination, Mr Sherzad's blood was found on the gloves, while DNA recovered from inside them was linked to Tajzai.
CCTV footage also 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 alleged animosity against Mr Sherzad reportedly 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, 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 later claimed he was in a relationship with the wife, saying he had come to Leeds to visit after she invited him on the 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.
Tajzai is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday, September 18.