A MENTALLY ill man who carried out a shocking stabbing in front of worshippers at a crowded Bradford mosque has been made the subject of an indefinite hospital order.

In October last year, a jury concluded that paranoid schizophrenic Fezan Hussain, 28, had carried out the machete attack which left a man in his 20s with damage to his liver and requiring a blood transfusion.

Hussain’s victim was rushed to hospital after the motiveless stabbing at the Madni Masjid Islamic Centre on Newton Street in May 2022.

At the hearing in October the jury was shown CCTV footage of Hussain pulling the concealed machete from his clothing before stabbing his victim in the abdomen without warning.

Just seconds before the unsuspecting complainant had hugged his former childhood acquaintance as other worshippers, including young boys, began to leave the mosque after Eid prayers.

Hussain, who was still holding the weapon, was restrained by onlookers as his victim collapsed to the floor of the prayer room with blood pouring from a gaping wound.

Hussain, 27, of Radfield Road, off Rooley Avenue, was initially charged with attempted murder after being arrested from his home later that day, but due to his “severe mental health difficulties” he was unfit to plead or stand trial.

At the hearing in October, the jury concluded in Hussain’s absence that he had carried out the stabbing after buying the machete by mail order.

Today, Judge Jonathan Rose said it was a particularly worrying feature of the case that a man with Hussain’s illness had been able to purchase the small machete by mail order.

The judge said the complainant had been “a wholly innocent victim” of Hussain’s actions that morning.

“You brought to the mosque that day the machete you had purchased," the judge told Hussain over a video link to Newton Lodge medium secure hospital.

"There could be no legitimate or good purpose for you to bring a weapon into a house of prayer.

“I have to infer you did so to use it in a violent act.”

The judge said at the end of the service worshippers greeted each other and embraced, but Hussain had taken the machete out of his robes and stabbed his victim in the abdomen.

Judge Rose said thankfully the man’s life was saved and as far as he was aware he had made a physical recovery.

Bradford Crown Court heard today that Hussain had no previous convictions, but there had been concerns about his behaviour prior to the attack.

Today Judge Rose heard evidence from Hussain’s treating clinician who confirmed he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and required lifelong anti-psychotic treatment.

Hussain was made subject to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act and the Judge also imposed a restriction which means he cannot be released from hospital until it is decided he poses no further risk of serious harm to the public.

Judge Rose emphasised that Hussain had not been convicted of attempted murder because he was too unwell to stand his trial.

He said the hospital order was being made to ensure that Hussain received proper treatment for his psychiatric condition and to protect the public.