Moment knifeman who stabbed ex partner's son to death rescued by RNLI

Captured in the Channel: Footage of RNLI seizing man who tried to flee Britain in a dinghy after fatally stabbing his partner’s 15-year-old son is revealed as he is convicted of murder

• Suleman Altaf murdered Jakub Szymanski, 15, and tried to kill the boy’s mother
• The knifeman was rescued nearly a day later on a dinghy in the English channel 

Dramatic footage of RNLI seizing a man who tried to flee Britain in a dinghy after fatally stabbing his ex-partner’s 15-year-old son has been revealed as he was today convicted of murder.

Suleman Altaf, 45, killed teenager Jakub Szymanski and tried to murder his mother Katarzyna Bastek during an attack at her home in Miles Platting, Manchester. 

The 15-year-old died after he heroically stepped in to save his mother as Altaf stabbed her. 

Video footage shows the knifeman being rescued by RNLI crew from a dingy in the Channel almost 24 hours after the stabbings. 

Atlaf can be seen floating hopelessly across the waves on the little inflatable boat as an RNLI rescue boat draws closer to him. 

A knifeman murdered 15-year-old Jakub Szymanski (right) with a knife and tried to murder the boy’s mother Katarzyna Bastek (left) during a horrific attack at her home in Miles Platting 

Suleman Altaf, 45, killed the teenager and stabbed the mother before trying to flee Britain on a dinghy

Video footage shows the knifeman being rescued by RNLI crew from a dingy in the Channel almost 24 hours after the stabbings

The dinghy appears to be stuffed with a black bag of possessions while Atlaf holds up a cover to shield him. 

The knifeman was found guilty of murdering Jakub after four days of deliberations on Tuesday. He was also convicted of the attempted murder of Ms Bastek, who suffered serious injuries, and of possessing a knife in a public place. 

Atlaf now faces a life sentence.  

Jurors at Manchester Crown Court heard that Altaf and Ms Bastek used to be in a relationship and shared a child. The pair had been involved in Family Court proceedings over the boy as Altaf unsuccessfully tried to gain access to his son.

READ MORE: Man, 45, ‘repeatedly stabbed his estranged partner and knifed her son, 15, to death, before trying to escape the country across the English Channel on a dinghy’, murder trial hears

He turned up to Ms Bastek’s home uninvited at about 9.15pm on June 9 last year, armed with a knife. 

Before arriving at the property on Bednal Avenue, he was seen ‘walking the streets’ around the house for more than three hours wearing a baseball cap, a face mask and latex gloves.

Altaf then let himself into the house and repeatedly stabbed Ms Bastek, who desperately called out to her son for help. Jakub ran downstairs and as he tried to fight off the attacker, he was stabbed in the neck.

He was pronounced dead about an hour later. Altaf fled and took a taxi to Slough, where he was living at the time.

He then drove south to Dover, before boarding a dinghy on the English Channel. At about 6.18pm the following day he was spotted by an RNLI crew.

He was later arrested and brought back to Manchester to be questioned by police. During the trial, Altaf claimed he’d travelled to his ex’s home to talk with Ms Bastek to resolve the issue over their child.

He told a jury that he acted in self-defence after Ms Bastek attacked him, and that he disarmed Jakub who had a knife. Altaf claimed he’d used a dinghy because he wanted to get to Portugal to avoid deportation to Pakistan, as he feared arrest because he was no longer entitled to live in the UK.

Atlaf can be seen floating hopelessly across the waves on the little inflatable boat as an RNLI rescue boat draws closer to him

The 15-year-old died after he heroically stepped in and saved his mother as Altaf stabbed her

But a jury rejected his claims and found him guilty on all counts. He will be sentenced at a later date.

In a statement released after Jakub’s death, his family said: ‘Jakub was lovingly known as Kuba to his family and Jakub to his friends. He was always a popular child making friends wherever he went due to his friendly and chatty nature.

‘He always spoke his mind, he was mischievous, funny and a cheeky boy. He loved his Xbox and football, supporting Manchester City.

‘He was like every other teenage boy and was helpful to so many people, even those he just met. To our family, he’s our hero.’

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