Key Points
- Three additional men – Asaf Afsar, 40, of Leahall Road, Stechford, Birmingham; Mark Regan, 53, of Burnaston Road, Birmingham; and Liam McGarry, 25, of Kington Lane, Claverdon, Warwick – have been charged in connection with attacks on the homes of Pakistani dissidents Shahzad Akbar in Cambridge and Adil Raja in Chesham on Christmas Eve 2025.
- Asaf Afsar faces charges of conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm in relation to incidents at both Adil Raja’s home in Chesham and Shahzad Akbar’s home in Cambridge on December 24, 2025.
- Mark Regan is charged with conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm on both Adil Raja and Shahzad Akbar on December 24, 2025.
- Liam McGarry is charged with conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm on Shahzad Akbar on December 24, 2025.
- The men were arrested on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and charged on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
- The investigation is being led by Counter Terrorism Policing London due to the highly targeted nature of the incidents.
- Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to jailed Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, was assaulted at his Cambridge home on Christmas Eve when a masked man asked for him by name and struck him multiple times in the face, causing cuts, bruising and a broken nose.
- Adil Raja’s home in Chesham was targeted at almost exactly the same time on December 24, with two men attempting to force entry; Raja, a former military officer and YouTuber convicted in absentia of terrorism-related offences, was not present.
- Akbar’s home was targeted again a week later (around December 31, 2025) when two men, one believed to have a firearm, broke a window and attempted to throw a burning rag inside, causing no damage.
- This brings the total number charged to seven, with four previously charged: Karl Blackbird (40, two counts of conspiracy to assault), Chris McAulay (39, one count), Doneto Brammer (21, firearm possession and conspiracy to arson), and Louis Regan (described as the “controlling mind” and “hitman for hire”).
- Two other men, aged 55 from Birmingham and 30 from London, were arrested on February 3 on suspicion of conspiracy to commit assault and criminal damage but released on bail until May 2026.
- The three newly charged men are due to appear in court on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
- Prosecutor Warren Stanier described the plot at Westminster Magistrates’ Court as a “sophisticated and planned agreement” to assault the two men simultaneously on Christmas Eve.
- Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram remanded earlier defendants in custody, noting the severity of the case.
Cambridge (Cambridge Tribune) February 5, 2026 –Three more British men have been charged in connection with a conspiracy to assault Pakistani dissidents Shahzad Akbar at his Cambridge home and Adil Raja in Chesham on Christmas Eve 2025, bringing the total number of defendants to seven in the counter-terrorism probe.
Who are the three newly charged men and what are their charges?
As reported by Geo News, Asaf Afsar, 30 (also listed as 31 or 40 in some reports), of Leahall Road, Stechford, Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm in relation to an attack on Adil Raja’s home in Chesham on December 24, 2025, and conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm in relation to an incident at Shahzad Akbar’s home in Cambridge on December 24, 2025. Mark Regan, of Burnaston Road,
Birmingham (aged 53), was charged with conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm on both Adil Raja and Shahzad Akbar on December 24, 2025. Liam McGarry, of Kington Lane, Claverdon, Warwick (aged 25), was charged with conspiracy to assault and occasion bodily harm on Shahzad Akbar on December 24, 2025.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that the three men were arrested on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, and charged on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, following Crown Prosecution Service authorisation, as stated in their official update. Counter Terrorism Policing London is leading the investigation, with the men scheduled to appear in court on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
What happened in the Christmas Eve incident at Shahzad Akbar’s Cambridge home?
Prosecutors told Westminster Magistrates’ Court, as reported by Reuters journalist Michael Holden, that Shahzad Akbar, a former adviser to jailed ex-Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, was struck many times in the face – up to 30 blows – after opening his door in Cambridge to a masked man who had asked for him by name on December 24, 2025. Akbar, a 48-year-old human rights lawyer and Pakistan-born journalist, suffered cuts, bruising and a broken nose in the attack, according to South Asia Press coverage.
The assailant was disguised in workman’s attire, and the assault formed part of a “sophisticated and planned agreement” to target Akbar and Adil Raja simultaneously, prosecutor Warren Stanier stated in court.
How was Adil Raja’s Chesham home targeted on the same night?
As detailed by The Straits Times, two men called at Adil Raja’s home in Chesham, northwest of London, on December 24, 2025, and tried to force entry; Raja, a YouTuber and former military officer convicted in absentia in January 2026 of terrorism-related offences linked to online support for Imran Khan, was not present. Prosecutor Warren Stanier described it as part of the same “well-organized and deliberate scheme” that hit Akbar’s Cambridge address at almost exactly the same time.
What further incidents targeted Shahzad Akbar’s Cambridge address?
A week later, on around December 31, 2025, two men, one believed armed with a firearm, broke a window at Akbar’s Cambridge home and attempted to throw a burning rag inside, but it caused no damage, as reported by Reuters and Times of India. Doneto Brammer, 21, one of the previously charged men, faces charges of possession of a firearm and conspiracy to commit arson related to this incident.
Akbar’s home was targeted again on January 10, 2026, according to Geo News police statement.
Who were the previously charged individuals and what roles are alleged?
Four men were charged earlier: Karl Blackbird, 40, of Bedworth, accused of two counts of conspiracy to assault and cause actual bodily harm; Chris McAulay (or Clark McAulay), 39, of Coventry, facing one count of the same; Doneto Brammer, 21, charged with firearm possession and conspiracy to arson; and Louis Regan, 25, a Birmingham university student described by prosecutors as the “controlling mind” and “hitman for hire” who conducted reconnaissance and disguised himself for the assault. All were remanded in custody by Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram, who noted the case’s severity, with a next appearance at the Old Bailey on February 13, 2026.
Why is Counter Terrorism Policing leading the probe?
The Metropolitan Police and Counter Terrorism Policing London cited the “highly targeted nature of the incidents” as the reason for leading the investigation, as stated in updates to Geo News and Reuters. The plots involved reconnaissance, disguises and near-simultaneous attacks on critics of the Pakistani government, prompting the counter-terrorism involvement despite no terrorism charges to date.
What is the status of other arrests in the investigation?
Two other men – a 55-year-old from the Birmingham area on suspicion of conspiracy to commit assault, and a 30-year-old from the London area on suspicion of conspiracy to commit criminal damage – were arrested on February 3, 2026, but released on bail until a date in May pending further enquiries, per Scotland Yard’s statement to Geo News. Three other men have been arrested earlier but released or not charged.
| Suspect | Age/Location | Charges | Court Date |
| Asaf Afsar | 40/Stechford, Birmingham | Conspiracy to assault Raja (Chesham) & Akbar (Cambridge), Dec 24 | Feb 5, 2026 |
| Mark Regan | 53/Burnaston Rd, Birmingham | Conspiracy to assault Raja & Akbar, Dec 24 | Feb 5, 2026 |
| Liam McGarry | 25/Claverdon, Warwick | Conspiracy to assault Akbar, Dec 24 | Feb 5, 2026 |
| Karl Blackbird | 40/Bedworth | Two counts conspiracy to assault | Feb 13 Old Bailey |
| Chris McAulay | 39/Coventry | One count conspiracy to assault | Feb 13 Old Bailey |
| Doneto Brammer | 21/No fixed | Firearm possession, conspiracy to arson | Feb 13 Old Bailey |
| Louis Regan | 25/Birmingham | Conspiracy to assault (hitman role) | Feb 13 Old Bailey |
What have authorities and victims said about the case?
Prosecutor Warren Stanier told Westminster Magistrates’ Court it was a “sophisticated and planned agreement” to go to the houses “at almost exactly the same time” on December 24, as reported by Express Tribune. Counter Terrorism Policing emphasised the targeted nature, with no pleas indicated yet by the newly charged.
