In another shocking example of Britain's broken borders and soft-touch justice system, an Afghan asylum seeker who terrorised shoppers in a Bradford supermarket with a six-inch knife has been handed a sentence so lenient it barely qualifies as punishment.
Milad Panjshiri, 22, stormed into the Morrisons store on Mayo Avenue on December 5 last year, brandishing a kitchen knife and declaring he was "mad with King Charles." What followed was a disturbing rampage caught on chilling CCTV footage.
Panjshiri was seen calmly walking the aisles, tapping the blade against his leg before waving it at a terrified female worker. He smashed shelves of wine bottles, sending glass and liquid spilling across the floor, and began stabbing tinned goods in a fit of rage. Panicked staff pulled the fire alarm, evacuating dozens of shoppers, including elderly customers as weeping families fled the store.
Thankfully, no members of the public were physically injured. But the psychological trauma for those caught up in this "very troubling offence," as the judge himself described it, is undeniable. Mothers had to explain to their children why they were crying. Ordinary Brits just trying to do their weekly shop were forced to run for their lives.
At Bradford Crown Court, Panjshiri's lawyer leaned heavily on mental health issues. The defendant couldn't even be bothered to turn up for his own sentencing, refusing to leave his prison cell. Recorder Tony Watkin sentenced him to 18 months in prison. With automatic early release, he'll be back on the streets in just nine months.
This is the reality of "two-tier" justice in modern Britain. A man who entered this country as an asylum seeker causes chaos with a deadly weapon in a public space, and the system treats it like a minor inconvenience. No wonder Panjshiri didn't bother showing up to court; he already knows how this game works.
West Yorkshire Police arrested him using a taser shortly after the incident. The knife was recovered. But questions remain: How did this individual end up in Bradford in the first place? What checks were carried out on his background? And why, after such behaviour, is there even a discussion about him potentially remaining in the UK?
The judge himself noted uncertainty over Panjshiri's immigration status, saying he didn't know if he'd remain in prison given it. For many viewers, the answer should be simple: serve the sentence and deport him back to Afghanistan. Britain cannot continue importing problems and then failing to deal with them decisively.
