Man who attempted to cross the channel in a dinghy guilty of murdering a teenage boy

A 45-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering a 15-year-old boy and attempting to murder the boy’s mother in Miles Platting in June last year.

Suleman Altaf attended his ex-partner’s home uninvited shortly after 9pm on 9 June 2022. He was carrying a knife and wearing a baseball cap, a surgical mask and latex gloves.

After letting himself into the house, he launched an attack upon her, stabbing her numerous times. When her 15-year-old son, Jakoub Szymancki, came to her aid, he stabbed the boy to the throat.

CCTV showed Altaf in the area of the house for three hours before the attack. He was in the house just two minutes before he was seen running away with blood on his face.

Jakoub Szymancki received a catastrophic injury to the blood vessels in his neck, plus defence wounds to his arms and was pronounced dead at 10.26pm. His mother received 13 stab wounds to her head and body, plus multiple facial fractures, a fractured rib and a collapsed lung.

After fleeing the scene Altaf took a £350 taxi to Slough where he attempted to cross the English Channel in a dinghy.

At 6.45pm on 10 June 2022, he was intercepted by RLNI lifeboat crew. After an hour of negotiations, when he told them he had intended to sail to France before travelling on to Portugal, he eventually agreed to leave the dinghy and was taken back to shore where he was arrested.

In interview he told police officers he had acting in self-defence after being attacked by the boy and his mother.

Today he was found guilty of murder, attempted murder and possession of a knife in a public place.

Daniel David, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West: "This is a tragic case whereby Jakoub Szymancki, who was just 15 years old, died because he was protecting his mother who was being subjected to a frenzied knife attack.

"We worked closely with Greater Manchester police to build a strong case against Suleman Altaf, including CCTV and telephone evidence. We presented that evidence to the jury proving that Suleman Altaf loitered outside the woman's home for several hours planning his attack. He was armed with a knife and disguised when he entered her home, clearly intent on extreme violence. Immediately afterwards he fled the house and attempted to leave the country in a dinghy. Today after considering that evidence they have found him guilty of all the charges he faced.

"Although today’s outcome can in no way bring back Jacoub, we hope that all those affected by his death will feel that justice has been delivered."