Knifeman who fled after 'brutal' attack jailed

A knifeman who repeatedly stabbed his victim in a "brutal and sustained" attack before going on the run has been jailed for 30 years.

Mohammed Alshafi left Craig Cardwell with 11 stab wounds, six broken ribs, a fractured cheek bone, punctured lungs and a spinal injury after assaulting him on Squires Gate Lane in Blackpool on the evening of 2 October 2024.

Alshafi's disappearance sparked a huge manhunt, said Lancashire Police, with the 26-year-old heading to Birmingham and then the Republic of Ireland, where he was arrested.

Following his trial at Preston Crown Court, Alshafi, of no fixed address, was found guilty of attempted murder, possession of a blade and assault.

Police said Mr Cardwell, 38, had confronted Alshafi in the street over allegations that he had assaulted his girlfriend.

Alshafi then pulled a flick knife from his coat pocket and carried out what detectives described as a "brutal and sustained" attack.

Mr Cardwell, who was given five bags of blood at the scene due to the amount he had lost, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital.

Police said the 38-year-old "thought he was going to die from the attack" and that he remained badly affected "both physically and emotionally".

He still "struggles with panic attacks and flashbacks", the force said.

Detective Constable Sally Blair said: "This was a brutal and sustained assault which could easily have cost Craig his life had it not been for the bravery of people at the scene, including off-duty paramedics, who came to his aid.

"Alshafi is clearly a man with a proclivity to extreme violence, and I welcome this significant sentence."

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