Man who fled UK in dinghy after stabbing ex's son guilty of murder

The CPS said Jakub was fatally injured while trying to defend his mother from Altaf's attack

A man who was stopped by a lifeboat on the English Channel while trying to flee the country in a dinghy after stabbing his ex-partner's 15-year-old son has been found guilty of murder.

Suleman Altaf was picked up off England's south coast hours after he stabbed Jakub Szymanski in Miles Platting, Manchester, on 9 June 2022.

The 45-year-old had also tried to kill the boy's mother Katarzyna Bastek.

He is due to be sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 2 August.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Altaf turned up uninvited at Ms Bastek's home armed with a knife and wearing a surgical mask and latex gloves just after 21:00 BST on 9 June.

A representative said Altaf let himself into the house and stabbed Ms Bastek repeatedly, before fatally wounding her teenage son as he tried to protect his mother.

They said Jakub suffered a "catastrophic injury" to his neck, as well as defence wounds to his arms, and was pronounced dead about an hour after the attack, while his mother was stabbed 13 times in the head and body and suffered facial fractures, a fractured rib and a collapsed lung.

'Protecting his mother'

CCTV showed Altaf was only in the house for two minutes before he was seen running away with blood on his face.

He then spent £350 on a taxi to take him to Slough, before heading to the coast to attempt a crossing in a dinghy.

The CPS said he was "intercepted by RLNI lifeboat crew" at about 18:45 BST on 10 June.

"After an hour of negotiations, when he told them he had intended to sail to France before travelling on to Portugal, he eventually agreed to leave the dinghy and was taken back to shore where he was arrested," the representative said.

They said that at interview, Altaf told police officers he had acting in self-defence after being attacked by the boy and his mother.

He was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and possession of a knife in a public place.

Speaking after the hearing, senior crown prosecutor Daniel David said Jakub died "because he was protecting his mother who was being subjected to a frenzied knife attack".

"Although today's outcome can in no way bring back Jakub, we hope that all those affected by his death will feel that justice has been delivered," he added.

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