A man with paranoid schizophrenia who stabbed his cousin repeatedly in Holloway has been sectioned.

Mohamed Sharif Omar, 49, pleaded guilty to GBH with intent at the Old Bailey today.

Police were called to Warlters Road, Holloway on August 23 last year and found a 47-year-old man with multiple stab wounds to his chest and legs.

The court heard that Omar, of Bartholomew Road, Kentish Town, attacked his victim with a 6in kitchen knife as he sat in his car.

Members of the public who saw the attack gave emergency first aid before medics arrived and he was rushed to hospital, before being released that same night.

After the attack, Omar ran away from the scene towards Holloway Road. Officers later found him at his home address and arrested him on suspicion of attempted murder. He was charged the following day.

At the Old Bailey today, prosecutors accepted a plea to a lesser charge. Omar, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, was sentenced to a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act with an indefinite time limit.

Det Con Dean Puzey, of Islington CID, said: “This is a tragic case involving an attacker with a mental illness, and a victim who was a relative of Omar’s.

“Were it not for the quick medical assistance from passers-by who witnessed this horrific assault, the victim could have died from his injuries.

“Omar poses a significant danger to the public and will now receive the medical treatment he needs.”