Afghan migrant who punched woman in horror attack dies in jail

A migrant who violently attacked a lone woman three times as she walked home has died in jail. Afghan migrant Gulwali Stanekzay was sentenced to three years for the horror rampage which left 23-year-old Aisha Waris dripping with blood after he assaulted her on a night in February, 2023 in Harlesden, north-west London.

An investigation has now been launched by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman after Stanekzay died at HMP Wandsworth on January 17 at the age of 25.

Stanekzay came toBritain as a 16-year-old asylum seeker in 2016 and had stayed at various immigration centres before becoming homeless at the time he attacked Ms Waris. A previous court case at Harrow Crown Court was shown footage of the Afghan migrant pursuing Ms Waris during the terrifying attack outside her home and that of her neighbour, Mr Richard Jarman.

A doorbell camera belonging to Mr Jarman, who had come outside after hearing screaming, showed Stanekzay trying to kick down his front door.

The Mail Online reports Ms Waris had been on her phone when she was initially attacked and a friend had managed to contact her father who drove to the scene to protect his daughter.

When he arrived video showed he too was attacked by Stanekzay, who punched him several times before dragging him along the road.

Ms Waris suffered a bruised lip, swollen nose and extensive bruising to her chest, shoulders, face, head, neck and back, requiring hospital treatment.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Waris said: "This incident has caused me a lot of distress and had an impact on my emotions and my mental health."

She added: "I used to love going out by myself, for example, going for walks, and was independent however this attack has taken my independence away from me."

Stanekzay arrived in Britain as an unaccompanied 16-year-old in 2016 and was homeless at the time of the offence, having spent periods in immigration centres.

Sentencing him at Harrow Crown Court, Judge Maya Sikand described the assault as "wholly unprovoked" and told him: "Watching that footage is upsetting and frightening and I'm sorry to say portrays you in a very ugly light."