Man jailed after knife attack outside supermarket

A knifeman who attacked people outside a supermarket while in a psychotic state has been jailed for two and a half years.

Two people were injured and children and adults fled for safety during the 20-minute rampage outside Aldi in Bevois Valley Road, Southampton, in August 2025.

Members of the public, including former The Apprentice candidate Sohail Chowdhary, intervened to distract the attacker until police arrived, Southampton Crown Court heard.

Azzedine Mahmoudi, 46, of Cobbett Road, Southampton, previously pleaded guilty to two charges of wounding, two of possessing blades and one charge of affray.

Video played in court showed the defendant, an aerospace graduate who had worked as a maths teacher, chasing people shortly before 13:00 BST on Sunday 3 August.

Matthew Lawton, prosecuting, said victim Marcin Skrzypek "thought he was going to die" when he fell over and was attacked by Mahmoudi while lying on the ground.

Skrzpypek suffered cuts to the top of his head and arm, the court heard.

Rui Teixeira was cut on his hand after shouting "Come on, come on" to distract Mahmoudi and coming under attack himself, the prosecutor said.

Richard Bevin, Viktor Kumchev and Chowdhary also intervened to help others, Lawton added.

The Apprentice candidate dragged Bevin to safety when he fell over a bollard, the court heard.

A passing scooter rider, Tyler Marris, was attacked, with Mahmoudi's knife leaving blood on his clothing without causing a wound, Lawton said.

The incident, during which Mahmoudi ran round the store with Chowdhary and others monitoring him closely, ended with a policeman armed with a Taser forcing the defendant to surrender.

In a victim personal statement, read by a barrister, Bevin said he had suffered psychological trauma.

The statement said: "Every time I close my eyes, I see the man with his knife.

"I see his face, I see his eyes and the knife dripping with blood."

Judge William Mousley KC said Mahmoudi had indiscriminately attacked people in a psychotic state after stopping taking medication to control paranoid schizophrenia.

He told the defendant: "The situation you created caused widespread panic with many members of the public including children fleeing for safety."

Investigating officer Det Con Ryan Mitchell praised those who confronted the knifeman.

He said: "The fact no-one was more seriously hurt or died as a result of this attack is in no small part thanks to the heroic actions of those members of the public, who, without a second thought for their own safety, bravely stepped in to help those around them."

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