Afghan Teenager Admits Murder Of Fellow Afghan In London Stabbing

Sulaiman Tajzai pleaded guilty to the murder of 26-year-old Farmanullah Shirzad at the Old Bailey on Friday, the Metropolitan Police said. Tajzai also admitted possessing a bladed weapon. He is due to be sentenced on September 18.

Prosecutors told the court that Tajzai, who lived in Leeds, bought a knife before travelling to London on March 17. Investigators said he had researched Shirzad's home and workplace and waited outside the victim's residence in Westminster before attacking him as he returned home.

Shirzad was stabbed multiple times near Westminster Abbey and died at the scene despite emergency efforts to save him. The Metropolitan Police described the killing as a“violent and senseless” attack.

Police arrested Tajzai two days later at his cousin's home in Leeds. During a search of the property, officers recovered several items linked to the investigation, including a pair of blood-stained trainers that prosecutors said connected him to the crime scene.

According to court proceedings, the killing stemmed from a personal dispute involving Shirzad's relationship with Tajzai's cousin's wife. Prosecutors said Shirzad had acknowledged the relationship and told others he loved the woman.

The case also revealed earlier police involvement months before the killing. Tajzai's cousin and his wife had reported Shirzad to West Yorkshire Police in September 2025, accusing him of harassment and showing officers messages and photographs. Investigators said the woman later deleted the messages, declined to provide a formal statement and left the police station.

In October 2025, police were called to the couple's home in Leeds and found Shirzad sitting on the floor with his hands bound with cloth. He was arrested on suspicion of stalking and trespassing with intent to commit a sexual offence, but later told police he had travelled to Leeds after being invited through Snapchat by the woman. Authorities later decided no further action would be taken against him.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley of the Metropolitan Police said Shirzad's family had suffered an“unimaginable loss.”

“This is a devastating case in which a young man lost his life as the result of a brutal and senseless act of violence. No family should have to endure such a tragedy,” Jolley said after Tajzai entered his guilty plea.

The case has drawn attention in Britain's Afghan community because both the victim and the defendant are Afghan nationals. British authorities have not indicated that the killing was linked to extremism or organized crime, describing it instead as a homicide arising from a personal dispute.

Tajzai remains in custody pending sentencing, where the court is expected to determine the length of his prison term after considering the guilty plea and the circumstances of the attack.

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