Leeds city-centre thug slashed man's head open with a key after catcalling confrontation
A thug slashed a man's head open with a key after a group made comments towards the victim's girlfriend during a night out.
Mohammed Suleman Ali was with three others in a parked car when he got out and lunged at the man who stopped to ask what they had said.
Ali was jailed for more than four years at Leeds Crown Court this week after admitting Section 18 GBH with intent, along with drug dealing in cannabis and possession of an offensive weapon from another incident.
Prosecutor Louise Pryke said the Ali had been driving a VW Golf that was pulled over by police on the evening of February 23, 2023, in the Chapeltown area.
More than 58 grammes of cannabis worth more than £500 was found in the car, along with a baseball bat in the boot.
They also found £365 in cash, messages on his phone indicative of dealing and a tick list. He was later released under investigation.
But in the early hours of October 13 last year, he was in a VW Passat with three other males on Call Lane when the man and his girlfriend walked past.
After they commented on the female, three of them got out to confront the man who had stopped, although Ali stayed in the car.
The situation was defused and they all shook hands, but Ali then got out and lunged at the man, trying to hit him.
Street CCTV played to the court showed him lunging again and swiping at the man, who is then seen to wipe his head because of the blood.
He was later taken to hospital where the 7cm-long laceration was treated.
The VW Passat drove off but later crashed on Crown Point Road with all four occupants then running off.
Ali’s fingerprints were later found in the car and he was identified by the victim’s girlfriend.
The 23-year-old was arrested and gave a no-comment interview. He has three previous convictions, including possessing a knife and a machete in 2020.
Ali, of Gladedale Avenue, Gipton, appeared in court over a video link from HMP Leeds this week, where he was being held on remand.
Mitigating, Fuad Arshad said there was a “deep sense of embarrassment and regret” about the attack, and said Ali “did not recognise” that person committing the assault on the CCTV footage.
He conceded that Ali was “impulsive” and had “anger-management issues”.
He said he had an interest in mechanical engineering and wanted to pursue a career, once he had finished his sentence.
Referring to the drug offences, Mr Arshad claimed Ali was “doing the dirty work” for people higher up the chain.
Judge Kate Rayfield jailed him for nine months for the drug and offensive weapon offences, and three years and four months for the GBH.
Running consecutively, it means a total of four years and one month.