Two men who took part in a 'terrifying' and 'traumatising' group attack on a man in Levenshulme have narrowly avoided jail.
Urfan Amjad, 23, and Fahim Shukat, 20, admitted to each playing a role in a brutal attack on a stranger, who 'thought they were trying to kill him', on June 22, 2020. The court heard how a group of four men, of which the defendants were two, smashed a beer bottle on the victim's head and used the shards to 'try to stab him', while kicking and punching him in a horrific attack.
Both men pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder, and were sentenced yesterday (November 15) at Manchester Crown Court. Presiding, Mr Recorder Usher said the pair were 'both young men' who had a 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation' despite the 'serious and sustained assault', and therefore could be given suspended sentences.
READ MORE: No apology, a last minute confession, massive pay rises - the housing bosses who failed Awaab Ishak
Prosecuting, Mark Kellet told the court how the victim got off the bus in Levenshulme after missing his stop in Longsight, and was accosted on Stockport Road by a man who accused him of robbing someone before telling him: "You white b****rd we don’t want to see you around here again".
The victim then spotted the three other men from the group coming towards him quickly, surrounding him so he couldn't get away. The men started kicking and punching him in what Mr Keller called 'a violent and sustained attack."
One of the four men - two of whom were never identified - delivered a blow to the victim's head with a beer bottle, before using fragments of it to try and stab him. In a victim impact statement, the victim told of how he believed they were trying to kill him. He suffered 'serious' injuries, including a puncture wound to his calf which required surgery, and a cut to the top of his head.
The court heard how the victim was in and out of hospital for three months, and has been left with permanent scarring as a result of the assault.
Defending Amjad, Mr Goode said it was 'clearly a serious offence', but argued that he was a 'young man of considerable talent' who had made 'positive' progress in the years since the incident. He said Amjad was a 'force for good in the community', and had kept a clean record since the assault.
Mr Goldwater, representing Shukat, reminded the court that he was just 17 at the time of the incident. "He was young and immature," he said. "That doesn't remove his responsibility, but significantly mitigates it.
"He tries very hard to keep his nose clean. It is my submission that he is unlikely to offend in this way again."
Sentencing the pair, Mr Recorder Usher said: "You both pleaded guilty to the offence. You were both young men and you are both still young men. You were part of that group that inflicted terrifying injuries. He thought he was going to die.
"He was minding his own business and someone in your group decided that he wasn't welcome where you were and made a racist remark to him. You two joined in, and neither of you had to. What then followed was a serious and sustained assault that both of you took part in."
Amjad, of Barnaby Street, Manchester, was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment, which Mr Recorder Usher suspended. He was also ordered to complete 240 hours of unpaid work and undertake 30 days of rehabilitation activity. Sentencing, the Recorder told him he 'lacked maturity' at the time of the incident, and had a 'realistic prospect of rehabilitation'.
Mr Recorder Usher told Shukat, of Stamford Road, Manchester, that he was 'considerably concerned' about a separate conviction of possession of cocaine and cannabis and possession of bladed article, following an incident in October 2021 - over a year after the assault in question, but said he 'accepts that you were immature at the time'. Shukat was handed a 14 month suspended sentence, and ordered to undertake 180 hours of unpaid work.
READ NEXT:
- Pedestrian dies after being hit by car in horror crash near school
- 'Just stab him, we'll take it': Victim left with horror injuries after trio walk up to him and batter him
- 'We complained so many times about mould in our home but they did nothing to help us - now our beautiful Awaab is dead'
- Ugly scenes outside Old Trafford as Manchester United fans turn violent
- Man found dead behind east Manchester car wash is named
