British man convicted of attacking GW student with hammer

WASHINGTON – A 45-year-old British man has been found guilty of attacking a George Washington University student with a hammer in a campus bathroom four years ago.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia says Mohammed Niazi of the United Kingdom was found guilty by a D.C. Superior Court jury Thursday of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury and carrying a dangerous weapon. The incident occurred in October of 2009.

Niazi was accused of going into a men’s bathroom in Duques Hall on G Street Northwest and hitting the victim in the back of the head with a metal hammer. The attack spilled out into a foyer, and Niazi fled out of the building.

Police identified Niazi through security video and credit card transaction records, but he bought a plane ticket to London and fled the country. He was caught in April of this year when he tried to travel through Panama, and was returned to the United States to face charges.

Niazi is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 22.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up