THREE men who force-fed a Muslim colleague bacon during a ten month campaign of abuse have been jailed at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
Victim Amjid Mehmood was tied to railings, hosed down with water and force-fed bacon during a campaign of abuse that was described by the judge as “appalling”.
Lee McDermott, of Rowley Regis, and Sean Melaney and Phillip Skett, both from Birmingham, admitted racial harassment and were each jailed for three years at Wolverhampton Crown Court.
The men worked with Mr Mehmood for road maintenance company Amey Mouchel at a depot in Bescot, Walsall.
The court was told the men continually bullied their victim from autumn 2005 to summer 2006.
During their campaign of abuse the men placed an item which looked like a bomb in Mr Mehmood’s locker, set fire to his trousers and drove him to the Lozells area of Birmingham during rioting in the area and abandoned him telling him local residents “were coming to get him”.
Mr Mehmood eventually reported the incident to his employers and police.
But on his last day of work he was set upon again by the three men. They tied him to railings, hosed him down with cold water and force-fed bacon.
The court was told the incident was filmed on a mobile phone.
Sentencing the three men, Judge John Warner said the campaign of abuse was an “appalling example of racial harassment and one that will not be tolerated in a civilised society”.
Addressing the three men he added: “You humiliated him [Mehmood] and the things you did to him were painful, hurtful, dangerous and done with considerable thought.”
In a statement, Amey Mouchel said it took the matter very seriously and did not tolerate discrimination of any kind.
It said: “The employee in question did not report the event until after he had left the company. However, as soon as we became aware of the allegations we carried out our own internal investigation; disciplinary action was taken resulting in the three individuals leaving the company.”
