Racial attack trio handed prison sentences (From Evesham Journal)

Racial attack trio handed prison sentences

2:25pm Monday 18th January 2010

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A TRIO found guilty of racially-motivated attacks in Evesham have been given jail sentences at Worcester Crown Court.

Two men were beaten up after they were overheard speaking Kurdish as they returned from a supermarket trip.

Rebaz Kadir made two desperate 999 calls to police during the violence outside his home in Maycroft.

Last December a jury found Thomas Crump, Daniel Moran and Carl Marchant guilty of two counts of racially aggravated assault on Mr Kadir and his friend Jasim Ali, causing them actual bodily harm.

The case had been adjourned for pre-sentence reports.

Crump, aged 21, of Lilac Close, Evesham, and Moran, also 21, of Winchcombe Road, Sedgeberrow, near Evesham, were both jailed for 21 months.

Marchant, aged 36, of Willow Close, Ashton-under-Hill, near Evesham, was given nine months.

Judge Amjad Nawaz said the offences were instigated by Crump and followed up quickly by Moran. Marchant got involved towards the end of the incident.

The judge said it was "a vile offence" against people who had done nothing.

He had excused the jury from reaching verdicts on a third count of affray.

The victims and Mr Kadir's girlfriend returned from shopping on April 24 last year with the intention of cooking dinner, said prosecutor Sharon Bahia.

But they were sworn at and told to go back to their own country before the men were attacked.

A flurry of kicks and punches caused face and body injuries but no broken bones.

The trio claimed the victims armed themselves but an eye witness told the jury he heard "English voices" shouting abuse and saw the victims backing away from punches.

Police got to the scene and stopped an Audi car carrying the defendants as they tried to escape.

Marchant had previous convictions for grievous bodily harm and assault on police.

Crump and Moran had no previous convictions.

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