The director of a car repair firm who repeatedly knifed a pregnant woman in the middle of Sutton Coldfield town centre has pleaded guilty to attempted murder.
It was around 2pm on Friday 4 March when the 40-year-old arranged to meet Raja, 42, at the local bank to transfer some money. She was 36 weeks pregnant at the time.
But at around 3.15pm, as she walked down Trinity Hill into the town centre, someone grabbed her from behind and started to stab her in the chest and stomach.
That person was Babur Raja, who had disguised himself and was armed with a large carving knife when he ambushed her as she made her way to the bank.
Passers-by came to her aid and she managed to break free, but fell to the ground again, where Raja attacked her for a second time, trying to slash her throat and cut her wrists with the knife.
In a statement to police the victim said she couldn’t believe what ‘Bobby’ was doing. She told officers how she pleaded with him not to kill her, genuinely believing that he was about to take her life.
Two brave passers-by - both men aged 31 and 69 - initially intervened and stopped the attack; they grabbed Raja, wrestling with him to try and get hold of the knife from his hands.
A third passer-by - a 44-year-old man - then ran over and joined the fight. He described kicking Raja more than 20 times in the head and body in a desperate bid to stop the stabbing.
Between them they were able to drag him off her as an 18-year-old lad then came and grabbed his hoody to pull him further away, along with his three friends, all aged 16.
The victim underwent emergency surgery to save her life and that of her unborn baby, with both now making a good recovery. Thankfully none of the Good Samaritans were seriously hurt.
At Birmingham Crown Court, Babur Raja admitted one count of attempted murder on the pregnant victim and to a wounding on the 31-year-old who helped stop the attack.
He also pleaded guilty to assault in relation to the 69-year-old who intervened, possession of a knife in a public place and attempted child destruction in relation to the unborn baby.
Detective Inspector Ian Ingram, who led the investigation, said: “This was an utterly brutal and unprovoked attack which was particularly disturbing by virtue of the fact that it happened to a completely innocent woman, in broad daylight, in front of dozens of people.
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