Court: Halifax man jailed for four years over alleyway hammer attack

Bradford Crown Court heard today (Friday) how Amjad Hussain, 37, and an accomplice had followed their victim in a car before jumping out with weapons and launching their attack in the alleyway near Queens Road.

Prosecutor Damian Broadbent said the complainant and another man had been walking to a local restaurant at about 7.30pm on November 16, 2020, when they became aware of the vehicle following them.

He described how the car pulled up alongside them and the attackers armed with hammers got out.

Mr Broadbent said the complainant was repeatedly hit and, although he managed to get free, he was chased and taken to the ground.

The attack continued, with the victim being stamped on and kicked as well as being struck with the weapons.

Mr Broadbent said before they left the scene, the attackers told their victim that they knew where he lived and they would kill him and his family if he went to the police.

The victim managed to get back to a friend’s house and was taken to hospital where he was found to have suffered bruising and puncture wounds in the attack.

Hussain, of Pavilion Close, Halifax, was found guilty after a trial in August last year of inflicting grievous bodily harm and today Recorder Patrick Palmer said mercifully the victim had not suffered more serious injuries given that weapons had been used.

“He was obviously followed by you two in the car and you two selected the alleyway in which to carry out your attack,” he told Hussain.

Barrister Nicholas Leadbeater, for Hussain, said his only previous conviction was nearly 16 years ago and this offending had been out of character.

He conceded that the victim had described the men as having hammers, but he submitted that the evidence at trial did not bear that out.

But he accepted that the CCTV footage capturing the attack showed the pair did have something in their hands.

Mr Leadbeater said Hussain had assisted at a local church helping the homeless and took them leftover pizza slices from the takeaway where he worked.