In a chilling case that has shaken the United Kingdom, a Nazi-obsessed terrorist has been sentenced to life in prison for a horrific stabbing attack on an Eritrean asylum seeker. Callum Parslow, 32, repeatedly stabbed 25-year-old Nahom Hagos in what prosecutors called an “extreme right-wing terrorist” assault motivated by Parslow’s anger over asylum seekers crossing the English Channel.
The brutal attack took place on April 2, 2024 at a hotel in Worcestershire that had previously been used to house asylum seekers. Parslow, who has Adolf Hitler’s signature tattooed on his arm, approached Hagos as he was eating lunch and asked where he was from. When Hagos replied that he was from Eritrea, Parslow pulled out a knife and began viciously stabbing him, inflicting devastating wounds to his chest and hand.
A Chilling “Manifesto” Reveals Terrorist Motives
In the aftermath of the bloody assault, investigators discovered a disturbing “manifesto” on Parslow’s phone in which he claimed he was “exterminating the invasive species” and “tending to the great garden of England.” The neo-Nazi terrorist had researched hotels housing asylum seekers and explicitly targeted Hagos based on his ethnicity in what he believed was his “duty to England.”
I just did my duty to England… They will call me a terrorist, they will call me an extremist: I am neither. I am but a gardener tending to the great garden of England. I removed the weeds; I exterminated the harmful, invasive species.
Callum Parslow, in his “manifesto” after the attack
The prosecutor, Tom Storey KC, said Parslow’s manifesto “bears all the hallmarks of being an extreme right-wing terrorist” statement, highlighting the deeply concerning ideologies that motivated this brutal hate crime. For Hagos, who described himself as a “law-abiding, good person,” the assault has left him with lasting physical and emotional scars.
Victim Suffers “Unbearable Pain” and Shattered Sense of Safety
In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement, Hagos shared the devastating consequences of Parslow’s attack. He continues to endure “excruciating” and “unbearable” pain in his hand, struggles with feelings of loneliness and fear, and has had his once happy life “turned upside down.” The asylum seeker, who had fled danger in his home country, now feels unsafe even walking the streets in his new home.
The pain is unbearable and keeps me awake all night long. I had been living and pursuing a happy life before the incident. This is now a distant memory. I feel lonely and don’t feel safe on the street. My life has been turned upside down.
Nahom Hagos, stabbing victim
Judge Condemns “Vicious and Unprovoked” Terrorist Attack
In handing down the life sentence with a minimum of 22 years and 8 months, Mr Justice Dove denounced Parslow’s actions as a “vicious and unprovoked assault on a complete stranger” that was “undoubtedly a terrorist attack.” He highlighted the devastating injuries Hagos suffered due to Parslow’s violent extremism.
The case has reignited concerns about the spread of far-right ideologies and the threat of domestic terrorism in the UK. It emerged that Parslow had previously been jailed in 2018 for targeting women and girls with messages describing sexually motivated violence, and had been referred to a counter-radicalization program in 2019, though no further action was taken at the time.
Far-Right Extremism Continues to Threaten Public Safety
Prosecutors emphasized that Parslow’s attack was intended to “intimidate a section of the public,” namely asylum seekers and those who provide them shelter. His actions were driven by a potent combination of neo-Nazi ideology and anger over immigration.
This attack was carried out to intimidate a section of the public – namely asylum seekers and those providing accommodation to asylum seekers. Callum Parslow’s neo-Nazi views motivated him to viciously attack a man based solely on the color of his skin and the place he was from, and he sought to spread fear amongst a community.
Bethan David, head of the Crown Prosecution Service’s counter-terrorism division
As Parslow begins his life sentence, the case serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing threat posed by far-right extremism and the critical importance of combating the spread of hate. For Nahom Hagos and many other asylum seekers, the path to healing and rebuilding a sense of safety in their new home has been made immeasurably harder by this act of senseless, ideology-driven violence.
