Birmingham knife suspect: Former Hamas bodyguard convicted as German extradition looms

Mohammed Alfatih, a former bodyguard for a Hamas leader, was convicted on Friday of a 2025 knife attack in Birmingham that left him wanted in Germany for a separate terror plot. The 40-year-old, also known as Mohammed Naim, received a majority guilty verdict from a jury at Birmingham Crown Court. He was found liable for unlawful wounding, possession of two knives, and criminal damage. The jury cleared him of the more serious charge of wounding with intent.

The incident occurred on October 14, 2025, when Alfatih attacked Kevin Bucknall, a bailiff, outside a home in Kings Heath. Video footage shown to the jury depicted Alfatih striking a broken van window and later brandishing two large kitchen knives. Bucknall sustained cuts to his head and required hospital treatment. Alfatih had pleaded not guilty, citing self-defense as his reason for the attack.

Alfatih was under surveillance by a UK counter-terrorism unit at the time of the stabbing. He had been released on bail just days earlier on suspicion of a terror offense. The jurors were not informed of his Hamas connections or his status as a surveillance target during the two-week trial. Reporting restrictions prevented his name from being published until the verdict was reached.

German authorities have requested Alfatih's extradition after he served his UK sentence. Prosecutors in Germany charged seven suspected Hamas members in September with plotting to kill Jews or Israelis in Germany or Austria. The plot was targeted around the second anniversary of the October 7 attack on Israel. German officials stated that Alfatih played a prominent role in transporting and storing weapons for the group.

The German extradition request notes his connection to Hamas leadership. Authorities said he recorded a video in advance to take responsibility for the planned attack on behalf of the organization. The plot was disrupted by Germany's domestic intelligence service following a tip from the Mossad, Israel's secret service. Alfatih was born in Germany but was granted UK asylum in 2015 and British citizenship in 2020.

A government source attributed the situation to previous border control failures under the Conservative government. The source stated that the current Labour government has introduced reforms requiring new citizens to demonstrate good citizenship and contribution to the country before gaining status.