Afghan Asylum Seeker May Serve 40% of Sentence for Supermarket Knife Rampage
An Afghan asylum seeker who terrorized supermarket shoppers with a knife may serve only 40 percent of his sentence and potentially not remain detained, raising questions about border security and sentencing policy.
Shoppers at a Bradford Morrisons supermarket still remember the terror of watching a man brandish a six-inch knife and shout threats. Now they face the reality that Milad Panjshiri, the Afghan asylum seeker who led the rampage, may serve only 40 percent of his 18-month sentence. The judge himself acknowledged the offender might not remain behind bars at all.
The case exposes a lethal combination of lax border vetting, inadequate immigration controls, and a sentencing framework that empties prisons rather than protects the public.
Panjshiri, 22, was sentenced on May 15 at Bradford Crown Court. His charges: carrying a bladed article and destroying property during a Dec. 5 rampage that forced dozens of shoppers and staff to flee. Recorder Tony Watkin told the court Panjshiri would "serve potentially 40 percent" of the sentence.
"I don't know whether he will remain in prison given his immigration status," Watkin said. "That is outside the knowledge of this court."
Panjshiri entered the Bradford Morrisons around 11 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2025. He brandished the knife and shouted, "I am mad with King Charles." Witnesses watched him hurl red wine bottles from shelves, stab cans, and knock over wine racks. Shattered glass scattered across the floor. He tapped the knife against his leg, then waved it at a female staff member.
Staff sounded the fire alarm as panic spread through the store. Dozens of shoppers, including elderly customers, were ushered out. They were "left panicked and in tears" while trying to guide confused shoppers to safety, Bradford Crown Court heard.
Recorder Watkin called the incident "a very troubling offence" and "something in the way of a rampage." He stated, "He was brandishing that knife in a public place, and there can't be that many more serious examples of offending of this nature than what happened on that day."
Panjshiri refused to leave his cell for the sentencing. The court dealt with him in his absence. Prison staff had already flagged troubling behavior, citing "violence, psychosis, improvised weapons and non-engagement."
The 40 percent release point stems from the SDS40 early release scheme. Introduced in September 2024, the temporary measure aimed to relieve prison overcrowding. Ministry of Justice figures show nearly 40,000 prisoners were released early under the program by mid-2025. Over 40,000 recalls to prison occurred in the year to June 2025, according to Prison Reform Trust data. Catch22 describes SDS40 as a "stopgap measure," noting "overcrowded prisons are not conducive to effective rehabilitation."
Defense counsel Fuad Arshad argued that mental health issues played a role. He told the court there was "no evidence he had attempted to attack members of the public." The assertion conflicts with witness testimony of Panjshiri waving the knife at a female staff member. Prison staff had already documented concerns during his custody.
Panjshiri's case illustrates broader failures in Britain's asylum system. The U.K. spent £4.8 billion on asylum processing in 2024/25 while handling 100,625 claims in the year ending December 2025. Afghanistan ranked fourth among claimants, accounting for 6 percent of applications.
Grant rates for Afghan asylum seekers fell sharply. The figure dropped from 99 percent in 2023 to 38 percent in the first half of 2025, following stricter Home Office evidence requirements. Yet the U.K. cannot return refused Afghan claimants. The government does not recognize the Taliban administration, leaving thousands without legal status living unmonitored in British communities.
This systemic breakdown creates what migration experts describe as a growing population of unvetted, unchecked individuals who cannot be removed even when they pose security risks. Panjshiri's case demonstrates how inadequate vetting combines with an inability to remove failed claimants and a sentencing framework that prioritizes prison capacity over public safety.
The Morrisons rampage is not an isolated incident. It is a symptom of asylum policy failures that prioritize migrant rights over citizen safety. Ordinary Britons face terror in their local supermarkets. Violent offenders serve minimal sentences—and may not even remain detained due to immigration complications.