Nazi-Inspired Extremist Convicted of Attempted Murder in Stabbing of Asylum Seeker

 

A Nazi-obsessed extremist who carried out a brutal knife attack on an asylum seeker, driven by far-right ideology, has been convicted of attempted murder. Callum Parslow, 32, who bears a tattoo of Adolf Hitler’s signature, was found guilty of the attack on 25-year-old Nahom Hagos after a three-week trial at Leicester Crown Court.

Parslow, motivated by hate, stabbed Hagos at The Pear Tree Inn, a Worcestershire hotel previously used to house asylum seekers. During the attack, Parslow told Hagos he was “removing invasive species.” Evidence presented in court showed that, immediately after the attack, Parslow attempted to post on social media, claiming he was performing his “duty to England” by eliminating “harmful, invasive species.” He attempted to tag several public figures in his post, including Tommy Robinson, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage, and Suella Braverman.

The incident took place on April 2, when Parslow approached Hagos while he was eating lunch and asked about his origin. Upon hearing that Hagos was from Eritrea, Parslow pulled out a knife, stabbing him in the chest and hand. The hotel manager and a builder rushed Hagos to the hospital, fearing he was losing too much blood to wait for an ambulance. Hagos sustained a serious 8 cm chest wound and injuries to his hand that severed tendons in four fingers.

Prosecutor Tom Storey KC emphasized that the attack was meticulously planned, motivated by an extreme right-wing ideology that singled out Hagos based on his ethnicity. Parslow's actions and writings bore hallmarks of extremist beliefs. Police later uncovered more of Parslow’s intentions, including his search history, which showed he had researched violent attacks, life imprisonment, and how to cause maximum harm with a knife, ordered for $1,000 from the US.

Following his arrest, officers found items with Nazi symbols in Parslow’s possession, adding to evidence of his ideology. Before the attack, Parslow had been evicted by his landlord for leaving racist notes in shared spaces.

The court was only able to lift reporting restrictions on Parslow’s trial after he pleaded guilty to unrelated sexual and malicious communication charges. His sentencing will take place at a future date.