Morrisons customers and employees had to be evacuated after a man wielding a knife caused chaos at the supermarket. Milad Panjshiri, 22, entered the store in Bradford, West Yorkshire, armed with a six-inch blade and proceeded to vandalize the aisles, hurling wine bottles onto the floor in a violent outburst that sent shoppers running for safety.
Panjshiri, an Afghan national, also menaced a female staff member with the knife, leading to the evacuation of numerous shoppers, including elderly individuals, to ensure their well-being. His destructive spree on December 5 last year involved stabbing cans with the knife and toppling shelves of wine bottles, resulting in a scene of mayhem.
During the trial at Bradford Crown Court, witnesses recounted Panjshiri’s threatening behavior, including tapping the knife on his leg before brandishing it at a female employee. The staff, overwhelmed and frightened, guided bewildered shoppers out of the store, with some members of the public unsure of how to react amidst the turmoil.
Authorities were alerted to the situation just before 11 am, responding to reports of a man causing damage with a knife inside the supermarket. Panjshiri was apprehended by officers, who recovered the weapon. Despite being sentenced to 18 months in prison by Judge Tony Watkin, Panjshiri, residing in Deneside Terrace, Bradford, West Yorkshire, declined to attend the sentencing, citing mental health issues as a contributing factor to his actions.
In the courtroom, Panjshiri’s defense attorney, Fuad Arshad, highlighted mental health concerns and emphasized that there was no evidence of him attempting to harm members of the public. Recorder Tony Watkin characterized the incident as deeply troubling, labeling it as a form of rampage due to the public display of the knife, a serious offense.
Watkin expressed concerns raised by prison staff regarding Panjshiri’s behavior, mentioning potential issues with violence, psychosis, improvised weapons, and non-cooperation while in custody. The judge noted the possibility that Panjshiri might serve only 40% of his sentence and speculated on his immigration status affecting his continued detention, a matter beyond the court’s jurisdiction.