Shocking moment man injects his blood into supermarket food in ‘bizarre’ rampage

Watch: Chilling moment man injects own blood into supermarket food

This is the chilling moment CCTV appears to show an 'insane' solicitor entering a supermarket to inject his own blood into produce.

Leoaai Elghareeb, 37, entered a Sainsbury's, Waitrose and Tesco in Fulham, west London, carrying a bucketful of hypodermic needles.

His 'bizarre' rampage caused nearly half a million pounds of loss as CCTV showed him injecting syringes into apples, packets of chicken tikka fillets, and ready meals in the three supermarkets.

In Sainsbury's, he also threw eggs and swore at staff and customers and he is accused of pushing a security guard in the chest and outside on the road threw an empty syringe at an NHS surgeon, jurors at Isleworth Crown Court were told.

During 25 August last year, it was agreed by prosecution and defence that Elghareeb carried a black bucket of syringes – some of which had needles attached – and threw them at people outside and inside a Waitrose, Tesco and Sainsbury's.

A total of 21 syringes were recovered following the incidents.

Leoaai Elghareeb was captured sticking syringes of his own blood into produce in three supermarkets. (SWNS)
Leoaai Elghareeb was captured sticking syringes of his own blood into produce in three supermarkets. (SWNS)

The stores were forced to take the precaution of throwing away and destroying all their produce, and restocking, before reopening days later.

This led to costs of £207,000 for Waitrose, £143,000 for Sainsbury's and £117,000 for Tesco.

Elghareeb, 37, pleaded not guilty to three counts of contaminating food and two counts of assault by beating by reason of insanity.

Jurors are now set to decide whether Elghareeb was insane at the time of the incidents.

Leoaai Elghareeb injecting syringes into apples, packets of chicken tikka fillets, and ready meals in the three supermarkets. (SWNS)
Leoaai Elghareeb injecting syringes into apples, packets of chicken tikka fillets, and ready meals in the three supermarkets. (SWNS)

At a hearing, psychiatrist Dr Bradley Hillier said Elghareeb believed he had a device inserted into his brain and he hoped by behaving rashly would lead to being contacted by "the real police”.

Hillier said Elghareeb believed he was living in a "Truman Show" simulation where "everything was fake”, adding: "I don't think he appreciated that he thought it was morally or legally wrong because he psychotically believed that he would get in touch with the real police who would help him to get this implant out of his brain."

Kyri Argyropoulos, defending, also said that Elghareeb “was not of a fit and sane mind” at the time.

Leoaai Elghareeb's defence are arguing that he was not sane at the time of the incidents. (SWNS)
Leoaai Elghareeb's defence are arguing that he was not sane at the time of the incidents. (SWNS)

He told jurors: "This behaviour was bizarre. It was odd: the syringes, the eggs, the flowerpot.

"You may recall one of the witnesses shouted out, 'are you okay?' Face to face this wasn't a situation of danger of aggression, it was more concern.

"People saw this man, with bags under his eyes, crouching down at the roots of a tree on Fulham Palace road and saw he was not ok.

"This was not the acts of someone who may feel is of a fit and sane mind.”

Jurors will continue their deliberations this week, where the case is expected to conclude.