A machete-wielding drug user was sentenced to 12 years today at Sheffield Crown Court for wounding with intent and having an offensive weapon.

On 31 January 2019, Daouda Sy (21) armed himself with a machete, with which he intended to attack an individual.

In High Street, Sheffield, he struck a 47 year old man hard over the head with the curved 18 inch blade, causing a deep wound. The attack was entirely random and unprovoked, and took place in broad daylight in front of many witnesses at a bus stop.

Sy shouted that the victim “did not believe in God.” The victim, terrified and bleeding from the head wound, ran into a nearby branch of Macdonalds, fearing for his life. Sy followed him inside and shouted again “If you don’t believe in God…I’ll kill you all.”

Customers and staff inside Macdonalds believed they were witnessing some sort of terrorist incident and were shocked and traumatised by what they witnessed. One of them stated: “I honestly felt I was going to die in a massacre.”

Sy, who was by then shouting repeatedly “in the name of Allah” was arrested by South Yorkshire Police officers outside the fast food outlet shortly afterwards.

Jonathan Sharp from the CPS said: "Daouda Sy was a regular user of the street drug ‘Spice’ and was well aware of the effect it had on him, having already been prosecuted for brandishing an axe whilst under its influence in March 2018.

“This was an entirely unprovoked and vicious attack, and it is only by great good fortune that the consequences were not more serious still.

“Sy also put many bystanders in genuine fear of their lives that day through his actions. He is clearly an unstable individual when under the influence of drugs. The sentenced passed today underlines the gravity of his offending.”