Lawyer stabbed in the chest by client in murder bid at Glasgow office

A knife-wielding man stabbed his lawyer in the chest in a murder bid at a solicitor’s office.

Esaya Neguse attacked Muhammad Shoaib leaving the 71-year-old fearing he was going to die.

Two colleagues tackled the 37-year-old before passing police caught sight of the struggle at MS Solicitors in Glasgow’s Southside on September 21, 2022.

Mr Shoaib survived having been stabbed in the chest.

Neguse initially stood trial at the High Court in Glasgow accused of attempted murder.

But, after Mr Shoaib testified reliving his ordeal to jurors, Neguse pleaded guilty to the charge.

He will be sentenced next month.

The court heard how the lawyer was at work that afternoon when Neguse turned up unannounced at the office on Victoria Road.

Mr Shoaib still agreed to see him and Neguse followed him into his room.

The victim expected Neguse to take a seat, but instead he stood next to him and stated: “Muhammad, are you ok?”

The assailant then pulled out a kitchen knife from his pocket.

Mr Shoaib told jurors: “He started attacking towards my neck, then for a second time on my chest. I had to put my hand out to stop him.”

The solicitor recalled Neguse mumbling something.

The victim added: “The blood was coming out my chest. It was like a shower of blood.”

Mr Shoaib desperately screamed on his colleagues – a fellow lawyer and a legal secretary – for help.

They got Neguse out of the room as he still clung onto the knife.

The victim managed to dial 999.

Mr Shoaib: “I thought I was going to die. The whole floor was filled up with my blood. I was panicking.”

CCTV footage showed the two colleagues – who were headbutted and bit by Neguse – deciding to drag the attacker out onto the street to attract the attention of police stopped at traffic lights.

The men yelled: “He has got a knife and he has stabbed him.”

Neguse eventually let go of the weapon which had a blade of up to six inches.

The court heard Mr Shoaib suffered a stab wound to his chest but was able to leave hospital after treatment.

Neguse – from Eritrea in East Africa and who already had a number of convictions – also pleaded guilty to five other charges.

These were assaulting Mr Shoaib’s colleagues, having a knife in a public place, behaving in a threatening manner and spitting on a police officer.

Lord Colbeck remanded him in custody as sentencing was deferred for reports.

After the stabbing of Mr Shoaib, former First Minister and Alba Party leader Alex Salmond said at the time he was “deeply upset with the news of the attack”.

Mr Shoaib had previously stood in the 2022 council elections as the Alba candidate for the city’s Pollokshields ward.