London mosque stabbing: Knifeman, 30, admits attack on prayer leader at Regent's Park mosque

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A man who stabbed a prayer leader with a kitchen knife at one of Britain’s biggest mosques is today facing jail after admitting the attack.

Daniel Horton, 30, struck Raafat Maglad in the neck during mid-afternoon prayers at the London Central Mosque in Regent’s Park on February 20.

Members of the congregation rushed to help Mr Maglad, the muezzin who leads the call to prayer, and also tackled Horton to stop him from fleeing.

Mr Maglad, a father-of-three from Queen’s Park, was rushed to hospital following the attack but heroically returned to lead prayers at the mosque 24 hours later.

Trauma: Raafat Maglad outside his home today

At Southwark crown court this morning, Horton pleaded guilty via videolink to charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article.

Horton, who was homeless at the time, and the victim were known to each other prior to the attack as he was a regular attendee at the mosque.

Following the attack, Mr Maglad told the Standard: "I was closing my eyes to pray and put down my head. It felt like someone hit me with a brick. It was terrible, there was so much blood. I put my hand up and tried to close the cut. Everyone stopped him and called the ambulance. I feel lucky. It could have cut my jugular and I would have had no chance."

He returned to prayers with his arm in a sling, and added: "It affected my nerve. Doctors have told me I need an MRI to see how much damage, but I can't move my right arm. It's a dead weight, it's heavy and numb. I have six stitches in my neck. I told the doctors I didn't want to stay in hospital with all wires going in me so I asked them to discharge me early. I wanted to be at home.

"I would like to thank everyone who helped. Last night the emergency room was full of so many people supporting me. It was nice. This attack won't change my behaviour. Nothing will stop me praying, and I will be back calling prayers as soon as I can. I have to find out if I need surgery first."

Ayaz Ahmad, an adviser to the mosque, said at the time: "Everybody's reaction was shock and horror, the men were screaming. It was a vicious attack. We live in a society where we hear a lot about knife crime and it's very shocking."

Abi Watik, 59, who had been praying one row behind the attacker, said: "We were kneeling down, as we started saying Allahu Akbar he got the knife from under his trousers and cut him.

"He was behind him, and then we heard screaming, and the Imam stopped praying and the people who were behind him they catch him straight away and put him on the floor, then after that there was lots of blood."

Judge Deborah Taylor, the Recorder of Westminster, remanded Horton in custody until sentencing on November 16.

He has been held in prison since the attack, and will undergo a dangerous assessment before he is sentenced.

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