The father of African migrant Lamin Saidilly, the 22-year-old accused of stabbing a 55-year-old Italian man 20 times in front of a bar on Via Capecelatro in Milan on Saturday morning, has broken his silence on national television. He expressed total disbelief and describing his son as a peaceful young man who had never caused trouble.
Speaking by phone during the Italian news program 4 di Sera, the father said: “My son is good, kind and nice. He never had any problems and had never done anything like it.”
He repeated the sentiment moments later: “Are you having any problems? No, he’s good, kind, nice. He never had any problems. I don’t know why he made this mess.”
The violent incident was caught on surveillance video, showing Saidilly stabbing the victim at random. Police say that after his arrest, Saidilly told them: “I had fun, once I get out I’ll do it again.”
🇮🇹🇬🇧 JUST IN: The African man who randomly stabbed a 55-year-old Italian man 20 times from behind in Milan has been identified as Lamin Saidilly.
Now, we know more about this violent immigrant's criminal past. In November 2023, Saidilly stabbed and robbed a 25-year-old outside a… pic.twitter.com/VK7GwnM5ax
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) July 6, 2026The father stressed that his son was born and raised in Italy and had always behaved well: “He was born here in Italy, he never made a mess, he never did anything.”
He also addressed the victim and his family directly: “I apologize for what happened to the family of the victim.”
Saidilly has a history of violence
Despite the father’s claims, Saidilly has a history of violence. According to investigators, Saidilly’s recent history includes time spent in prison in England. Multiple reports link the 22-year-old suspect to a serious violent incident in Leeds, UK, in late 2023, where he stabbed a 25-year-old and then robbed him. The victim suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital. However, Italian investigators are still looking to establish the exact details of his past criminal history and whether it could have been or whether the UK offense was committed by someone with the same name.
Saidilly returned to Italy at the end of 2025 and moved in with his father in Conegliano Veneto in the Treviso province. There he worked for several months as a warehouse employee at a well-known local food company.
Relations with his father deteriorated after Saidilly reportedly refused to contribute to household expenses despite having a job. Following an argument, his father allegedly asked him to leave the house. Saidilly then traveled to Milan, arriving on June 23. He stayed in various hotels, always paying his bills and causing no disturbances, until he vanished from records on June 30.
Prosecutor Elio Ramondini, who is coordinating the investigation through the General Prevention Office of the State Police, has activated international judicial cooperation channels to establish exactly how long Saidilly was detained in Britain and the exact nature of the offenses he committed.
Court appearance and lawyer’s statements
When questioned yesterday by Investigating Judge Luigi Iannelli at San Vittore prison, Saidilly exercised his right to remain silent. His lawyer, Simona Brambilla, spoke to journalists after the hearing, according to Italian news outlet Imolaoggi.
“It was his choice,” Brambilla said of her client’s silence. She described the 22-year-old as “very shaken” and added that he “doesn’t remember anything until he found himself in the police car.”
The lawyer specifically denied that Saidilly remembers uttering the phrase attributed to him after the attack — “I had fun, once I get out I’ll do it again.”
She portrayed him as “a very lost and confused boy” who chose not to request house arrest or any other alternative measure “also to avoid putting his father in difficulty.”
Brambilla stated she is “not aware of him having been treated for mental problems.” Regarding reports of a stabbing committed in England a few years ago, she said she “could say absolutely nothing” because of lawyer-client confidentiality. Efforts have already been issued to clarify the matter.
The defense lawyer also revealed that her client described his decision to leave Conegliano and travel to Milan as “a journey of self-discovery.” When asked whether Saidilly had any message for the man he allegedly stabbed, Brambilla replied: “He didn’t even have words to defend himself.”
The lawyer confirmed that the young man was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the attack.
The parents, who live in Conegliano Veneto, are described as deeply shocked. According to Brambilla, they repeatedly asked her for proof of what had happened, saying they “would never have expected something like this.”
The judge is expected to issue an order in the coming days on the validation of the arrest and the application of pre-trial detention. The defense considers continued imprisonment the most likely outcome.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to reconstruct the precise sequence of events and determine the full extent of Lamin Saidilly’s responsibilities.
