A paranoid schizophrenic, who attempted to murder two elderly Muslim worshippers by setting them on fire outside mosques, one of whom was in Ealing, has been detained indefinitely.

Mohammed Abbkr, 29, was captured on disturbing CCTV setting Hashi Odowa, 82, and Mohammed Rayaz, 70, alight in separate attacks in Birmingham and London.

He first targeted Mr Odowa in in Ealing, west London, after he failed to recognise him, telling him - "I swear in the name of Allah you will know me."

Abbkr then left Mr Rayaz 'engulfed in flames from head to foot' after dousing him in petrol near a Birmingham mosque because he did not speak Arabic.

They were both left with serious burns with Mr Rayaz being scarred for life following the horror attacks.

Abbkr, of Edgbaston, Birmingham, was found guilty of attempted murder in November last year.

He was given a hospital order under Section 37 of the Mental Health Act at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday, 17 April.

He will only be released into the community if he is no longer deemed a risk to the public after being treated in a secure hospital indefinitely for his schizophrenia.

29-year-old, Mohammed Abbkr, tried to set two men on fire outside of mosques in London and Birmingham back in February and March 2023 (credit: SWNS).

Sentencing Judge Melbourne Inman KC said: "The nature of each attack was identical, throwing petrol over your victims and then setting them alight.

"Mr Odowa was engulfed in flames. Fortunately, a friend who was with him managed to strip the burnt clothing from him.

"That saved him from more severe injury. Mr Rayaz was engulfed in flames. The CCTV recording what happened is horrific.

"You threw further petrol over him as he burned and simply then walked away.

"Others came to the rescue of Mr Rayaz. It is pure good fortune that Mr Odowa did not suffer more serious injuries.

"As it was he suffered burns to his left ear, back of the neck and his hand which were over about two per cent of his body.

"There have, however, been significant psychological effects on Mr Odowa.

"Mr Rayaz suffered burns to about seven and a half per cent of his body, significant burns to his face and head.

"His beard was entirely burnt away and he remained in hospital for nearly three weeks. He has also suffered significant psychological impact.

"The victims were chosen at random in the belief that each of them was trying to take control of you."

The judge said Abbkr had not been motivated by any extreme ideological or extreme views and that he had been and still was suffering from a severe mental illness.

CCTV showed Abbkr first striking when he arrived at West London Islamic Centre, on February 27 last year.

As he leaves the mosque a fireball can be seen in the distance as Mr Odowa was set alight, causing burns to his ears and hands.

Abbkr carried a lighter and a bottle of petrol in his bag to carry out his attack on the two muslim men (credit: SWNS).

Footage from the Birmingham attack also captures both parties praying at Dudley Road Mosque on March 20.

Abbkr then follows the victim along the streets at the end of prayers and can be heard asking Mr Rayaz whether he speaks Arabic.

When he says he speaks Urdu and Punjabi, Mr Rayaz can then be seen being sprayed with a liquid from a bottle before being engulfed in a ball of flames.

Police arrested Abbkr the following day, who they recognised while recovering CCTV of the incident. He was also recognised by other members of the public.

Abbkr, who answered no comment when quizzed by police and denied the charges, was later questioned by three psychiatrists.

He said those he had attacked were "controlling him through magic" and they possessed supernatural qualities.

He said he did not expect them to have been hurt by the fire.

In a statement Mr Odowa's son Yousef, said: "My father was a confident and independent pensioner and an elder of the community.

"However the attack he suffered on February 27, 2023 had a wide and terrible impact upon him and his family. He is lucky to be alive from the attack.

"He feels embarrassed and anxious about his scars and tries to improvise ways of covering them up."

Mohammed Rayaz, the eldest son of the second victim, said "The attack on my father on the evening of March 20 was an awful and unbearable thing to see.

"His eyes and lips were swollen, his hands burnt. Half of the clothes on his upper body were gone.

"I felt so hopeless, No son or daughter should have to see their father in that state.

"On that evening I met with the paramedics. The pain he was in was unbearable. I could see the concerns the paramedics felt. They were giving morphine to him.

"My father has been diagnosed with depression and early stages of PTSD.

"Seeing the CCTV where this evil man takes a bottle from his bag, unscrews the cap and set fire to my father and then, after a few seconds, throw more chemicals on him, making him suffer more, will be with me forever."

Mr Rayaz's coat was left burnt after Abbkr set him on fire outisde of a mosque in Birmingham (credit: SWNS).

Consultant forensic psychiatrist, Ross Mirvis, said that Abbkr had started showing symptoms of schizophrenia in 2020.

He expressed the belief that an older man he met at a mosque in London had put magic on him and was able to control his body and read his mind.

Bernard Tetlow KC, defending, said: "There is no history of violence.

"There is no suggestion that drug use or alcohol abuse has contributed in any way.

"His behaviour is attributable to the mental illness he was suffering from and is still suffering from."

Chief Inspector Haroon Chughtai, of Birmingham Police, said: "These were absolutely horrific attacks which almost defy belief in their apparent randomness and severity.

"It is by luck and not by design that these two men, who were simply returning home from prayers.

"Counter-terrorism officers were initially called in to investigate, given the nature of the attacks.

"While they have continued the investigation, we have found no evidence that Abbkr was motivated by a particular ideology, and so this has not been treated as a terrorist attack.

"Thankfully these kinds of attacks are incredibly rare, but in the aftermath, we worked closely with mosques around Birmingham to offer reassurance and listen to their concerns.

"The courage of the victims and their families has been exceptional. They have been left with physical and emotional wounds that they may never recover from."

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