A former Hamas bodyguard, wanted in Germany over an alleged plot to murder Jewish people, has been found guilty of a knife attack on a bailiff outside his UK home.
Mohammed Alfatih, previously known as Mohammed Naim, was regularly seen acting as a bodyguard for a former leader of Hamas in 2006. He was granted asylum in the UK in 2015 and British citizenship in 2020.
The 40-year-old was found guilty by majority verdict of unlawfully wounding a bailiff who had come to repossess his wife’s car, possession of two knives and criminal damage. He was cleared of wounding with intent.
Alfatih was under surveillance by a counter-terror unit at the moment he attacked the bailiff in Birmingham last year.
The son of a senior Hamas official, he could not be named during his trial due to reporting restrictions.
During the trial, footage was shown of Alfatih brandishing two large kitchen knives outside his home in the suburb of Kings Heath and trying to stab the bailiff as he drove away.
He told the court he chased the victim across the street to scare him away after his wife was asked to settle her debts of more than £2,250 linked to unpaid parking fines.
Her car had been clamped by the enforcement officer, who was involved in a struggle inside Alfatih’s terraced home.