Ex-Hamas bodyguard convicted in UK knife attack, was wanted in Germany but had British citizenship

A suspected Hamas terrorist, wanted in Germany over an alleged plot to murder Jewish people, has been found guilty of in 2025 UK knife attack on a bailiff.

The person has been identified as Germany-born Mohammed Alfatih, also known as Mohammed Naim. According to reports, Alfatih acted as a bodyguard to the leader of Hamas before being granted asylum in the UK in 2015 and British citizenship in 2020. The 40-year-old was found guilty by majority verdict of unlawful wounding, possession of two knives and criminal damage. He was cleared of the more serious charge of wounding with intent.

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Alfatih pleaded not guilty, claiming self-defence due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from past experiences in Gaza and Egypt. To ensure a fair trial, Judge George Lubega withheld Alfatih's alleged terrorism links from the jury and granted him a "good character direction" because he had no prior UK convictions.

Born in Germany and raised in Gaza, Alfatih is reported to be the son of senior Hamas official Basem Naim and previously served as a bodyguard for former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. He claimed asylum in the UK in 2014–2015 and was granted British citizenship in 2020.

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What is the incident?

On 14 Oct 2025, bailiff Kevin Bucknall attended Alfatih's home in Kings Heath, Birmingham, to clamp his wife's car over more than £2,250 in unpaid parking fines. Following a scuffle inside the property, Alfatih armed himself with two large kitchen knives and a half-brick, smashed the driver's-side window of the bailiff's van, and left Bucknall with a deep cut to the back of his head requiring hospital treatment. The surveillance footage showed that Alfatih walked back inside and called the police to claim he had been assaulted after the bailiff reversed down the street to escape.