MANCHESTER MAN JAILED FOR STABBING TEEN AND ATTEMPTED CHANNEL CROSS IN DARING ESCAPADE
A violent criminal named Suliman Altaf, aged 45, was involved in a savage attack and subsequent escape attempt in the UK.In June 2022, he murdered 15-year-old Jakub Szymanski in Manchester by stabbing him with a knife during an assault that also left Jakub’s mother, Katarzyna Bastek, critically wounded.
Jakub died within an hour from stab injuries to his neck and arms, while his mother suffered multiple stab wounds, including injuries to her head, along with fractured bones and a collapsed lung.
CCTV footage showed Altaf spent roughly two minutes inside the victims’ home before fleeing the scene.
He had entered the residence carrying a knife, masked with a surgical cover, and wearing latex gloves.
During police interviews, he claimed his actions were in self-defense after being attacked by Jakub and his mother.
Altaf was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, and possessing a bladed article in public, and was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 30 years.
Following the attack, he paid £350 for a taxi to Slough, then tried to cross the English Channel in a small boat, but coastguards intercepted him.
He was arrested once brought back ashore and stated his travel plans included France and Portugal.
The court described his assault as extremely vicious, frenzied, and aimed at his victims, noting Jakub was killed while trying to defend his mother from certain death.
The traumatic incident sparked widespread shock, and Altaf was given a lengthy prison sentence for his actions.
