17-year-old struck victim with a bat, leading to life-changing injuries
A teenager who hit a man over the head with a bat in an attack which resulted in life-changing injuries for his victim has been jailed for 18 months.
Tariq Mahmood, 37, was attacked by the bat-wielding thug outside his home in Dudley at the start of August last year.
The attack took place when he went to the aid of his 19-year-old stepson Ajmal Choudhary who was fighting one of a number of people who had arrived at their home.
The 17-year-old attacker, who had been been 16 at the time of the attack and cannot be identified for legal reasons, struck Tariq over the head with the bat to catastrophic effect.
The blow left the victim weak in the right side of his body and also resulted in difficulties with both speech and memory, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.
The injury was so severe that part of the 37-year-old’s skull had to be cut away during surgery, leading to permanent disfigurement.
At an earlier trial, the jury cleared the attacker of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The 17-year-old, of previous good character, was remanded in custody until he was convicted of the lesser charge of causing grievous bodily harm.
Mr Robert Price, prosecuting, said: “These events have had a profound physical and psychological effect on Mr Mahmood and his family. There has been permanent disfigurement arising from the removal of a portion of his skull.”
Mr Trevor Siddle, defending, said: “The defendant accepts he hit Mr Mahmood with the bat but it is unlikely, given the verdict on the more serious counts and the medical evidence, that the jury believed there was more than one blow. But the event and its consequences will remain with the defendant for the rest of his life.”
Judge John Warner told him: “You made a decision to take the bat from the car and pitch into the fight. You then deliberately hit the injured party over the head causing catastrophic injuries but I am satisfied you had not intended such grave harm.”
The teenager was given an 18 months detention and training order, after having the time spent in custody awaiting trial taken away from the proposed sentence prior to it being passed.
