Leeds court delays sentencing of motorist who drove car at soldier in New Year's Day attack

Sentencing of a man who drove a car into a serving soldier outside a West Yorkshire nightclub on New Year’s Day was halted due to lack of medical evidence about the long-term impact of the injuries he sustained.
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Hamza Ali Hussain, of High Street, Dewsbury had already pleaded guilty to the offence of grievous bodily harm with intent, which left Joshua Adams-Mitchell with serious injuries, and was set to be sentenced at Leeds Crown Court today.

However, Andrew Dallas, defending, told the court there was no medical evidence with regards the severity of a knee and eye injury that Mr Adams-Mitchell suffered, that the most recent reports were compiled in the days following the incident and there was differing information as to whether the soldier had a bleed on the brain following the attack in Batley in the early hours of January 1.

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He said: "The major question about his eye – there is no medical specialist evidence at all. There is second hand information from the soldier himself and there is a knee injury which he talks about but there is no medical evidence and again the prognosis for that is unclear.

The case against Hamza Ali Hussain was adjourned at Leeds Crown Court today.The case against Hamza Ali Hussain was adjourned at Leeds Crown Court today.
The case against Hamza Ali Hussain was adjourned at Leeds Crown Court today.

"The victim was told he had a bleed on the brain but the specialist remarks there is no evidence from his understanding of the CT scan."

Mr Dallas said the request for an adjournment was not "tactical" by the defence team but the prognosis for the soldier and the effects of his injuries would determine the level of sentence imposed.

He added: "It would be in the interests of justice to adjourn so the court can get a better idea as to which direction this young soldier is going in terms of rehabilitation.”

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His Honour Judge Mairs said the reports were to be back before the court by Friday May 3 and the sentencing will now take place on May 8.

As he further remanded Hussain in custody he added: "A lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable."

Leeds Crown Court had previously heard that there had been an argument inside the nightclub which spilled outside into the street and that Mr Adams-Mitchell was knocked down by a blue Mercedes being driven by Hussain, who fled the scene but was arrested soon after.