A man armed with a knife launched a rampage inside a supermarket, forcing employees and customers to evacuate the premises. Milad Panjshiri, 22, entered the store in Bradford, West Yorkshire, brandishing a six-inch blade.
In-store footage captured an enraged Panjshiri hurling wine bottles onto the floor, sending shattered glass everywhere. The Afghan national waved the knife at a female employee during the incident.
As a result of the danger, dozens of shoppers, including elderly customers, had to be quickly ushered out of the supermarket for their own safety, The Express reports.
Bradford Crown Court heard Panjshiri stabbed cans with the knife and pushed over shelves full of wine bottles during his meltdown on December 5 last year. A judge sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but said he may only serve “40%” of the time handed down.
One worker saw him “tapping the knife on his leg” before he approached a female employee and waved the blade at her.
Staff later told police they were left panicked and in tears while trying to guide confused shoppers out of the store. The court heard some members of the public did not know what to do as the chaos unfolded.
Police were called just before 11am to reports of a man causing damage with a knife inside the supermarket. Officers later arrested Panjshiri and recovered the weapon.
Cowardly Panjishiri, of Deneside Terrace, Bradford, West Yorks, refused to leave his prison cell for sentencing and was dealt with in his absence.
Mitigating, Fuad Arshad said mental health issues were a factor in Panjshiri’s behaviour and told the court there was no evidence he had attempted to attack members of the public.
Sentencing the Afghan national to 18 months in prison, Recorder Tony Watkin described the incident as “a very troubling offence” and “something in the way of a rampage”.
He added: “He was brandishing that knife in a public place, and there can’t be that many more serious examples of offending of this nature than what happened on that day.
“No doubt because of other incidents that have occurred both the staff and members of the public will have had a heightened awareness of something like this occurring.”
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The judge said prison staff had raised concerns about violence, psychosis, improvised weapons and non-engagement while Panjshiri was in custody.
Recorder Watkin added: “He will serve potentially 40 per cent of [his] sentence. I don’t know whether he will remain in prison given his immigration status. That is outside the knowledge of this court.”