'Cocky' knifeman admires his reflection in shop window moments after stabbing his victim

An "arrogant and cocky" man who posed to look at his reflection in a shop window just moments after stabbing someone three times in an unprovoked attack has been jailed for nine years.

Osama Hussain, 28, admitted to causing grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon after he stabbed his victim following an argument with another man whilst riding a tram in Wolverhampton on 22 July.

After arguing with the passenger, Hussain became abusive towards the conductor when he was asked to turn his music down and stop drinking. After getting off at the Bilston stop, Hussain turned his attention to his 32-year-old victim, who accidentally ran into him while getting off the tram.

Hussain then proceeded to punch and stab the man from Birmingham using a pocket knife.

Despite receiving stab wounds to his arm and back, including one which narrowly missed his spine, the victim managed to film Hussain on his mobile phone, which helped in his arrest following an appeal.

Hussain was also captured on CCTV "swaggering" down the street, discarding a beer bottle on the floor and checking his hands for blood and striking a pose in front of a shop window just moments after the attack.

After admitting the charges, the defendant has now been sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court to nine years for grievous bodily harm (GBH) with a 12-month sentence for possession of an offensive weapon to run concurrently.

Detective Constable Tim Friend from British Transport Police said: "This was a completely unprovoked and callous attack which Hussain has offered no explanation for.

"This could have been a lot worse; if the stab wound on the back had been an inch to one side or had Hussain's fist, which concealed his knife, connected with the victim's head at a certain angle, the outcome would have been very different.

"However, this incident has left the victim with more than physical scars. It has deeply affected his outlook on life and he now feels constantly on edge, is fearful of leaving the house and suffers flashbacks.

"While nothing can repair the harm Hussain did that day, we hope this lengthy sentence goes some way to helping the victim rebuild his life and I would like to commend his quick thinking which gave us the footage that allowed Hussain to be quickly identified.

"Knives cost lives and we will do everything we can to trace offenders and put them before the courts who, as this case shows, are willing to take people like Hussain off the streets for a considerable amount of time to make the West Midlands a safer place for all."