Man convicted of two violent assaults in Harrow

A man has been convicted following two violent assaults that left one of his victims dying from stab wounds.

Abdul Khan, 27 (14.08.97), of Durham Road, Harrow, had previously pleaded guilty to the manslaughter through diminished responsibility of Bohdan Vandzhura, possession of an offensive weapon and actual bodily harm.

At the Old Bailey on Thursday, 23 January he was found guilty of the attempted murder of a then 43-year-old man.

He will be sentenced on Tuesday, 25 March.

Detective Chief Inspector Tom Williams, who led the investigation, said: “Our thoughts today are with Mr Vandzhura’s family and friends.

“This was a truly horrific assault by Khan on his innocent neighbour as he was heading to work one morning to provide for his family. The ferocity of the knife attack has shocked everyone who has seen the CCTV footage.

“Our thoughts are also with his second victim who suffered serious injuries in the attack.

“It’s clear that mental health was a key factor in the events building up to that day but Khan’s pattern of aggression towards two people cannot be ignored.”

An investigation was launched after police were called on the morning of 8 July 2023 to reports of a stabbing on Pinner Road in North Harrow.

Officers attended along with the London Ambulance Service and London's Air Ambulance. At the scene, they found 49-year-old Bohdan – a father-of-two who was from Harrow – with stab wounds. Despite their efforts he died at the scene.

A post-mortem examination carried out the following day confirmed he died as a result of multiple stab wounds to the chest and neck.

Detectives from the Specialist Crime Command launched an investigation, involving a quick time review of CCTV footage from the area.

Officers followed Khan’s movements using CCTV which captured him disposing of the weapon and making his way towards Mr Vandzhura’s home. This led detectives to believe Khan lived in the area and he was quickly identified and arrested.

This same footage provided them with evidence of his father – Khalid Khan – leaving the home with a carrier bag that contained his son’s bloodied clothing.

Abdul Khan was arrested on 8 July and charged within 24 hours.

Detectives also established that Abdul Khan was the unidentified suspect in an earlier assault on another man in Harrow.

On 20 August 2022, Khan punched the man to the ground before repeatedly stamping on him, leaving him unconscious. Officers carried out an investigation but were unable to identify a suspect at the time.

Khalid Khan, 62 (22.04.62) of Durham Road, Harrow was convicted of assisting an offender in relation to the manslaughter.