Men sentenced for Telford town centre assault

Mansoor Akhtar and Faizan Mehmood had previously admitted assaulting the man, causing him actual bodily harm.

The two men, who are both from Telford, appeared at Shrewsbury Justice Centre for sentencing before Judge Anthony Lowe.

Akhtar, 21 and Mehmood, 20 were caught on CCTV attacking a man in the car park in Telford town centre on April 21 2017.

Footage screened in court showed that the two began to mock the man and his friend as they made their way from McDonald's at Telford Shopping Centre towards the nearby Thomas Botfield Pub.

They then kicked and hit the man to the ground in an attack likened by the judge to that of 'a pack of hyenas on a dead carcass'.

Thomas Sherrington, prosecuting barrister said that Akhtar of Victoria Avenue, Wellington and Mehmood, of Portia Close, Wellington had seen the man assisting his friend, who had an injured leg, to navigate the steps at the shopping centre.

The pair began to mimic the man and his friend and then engaged in a 'verbal altercation'.

"A punch was thrown making him fall to the ground," said Mr Sherrington. "He was then kicked several times. A group of ladies at the pub saw what was going on and they separated Akhtar and Mehmood from the group.

"They said that the injured man let out a 'pained squeal' when he was punched in the face."

Miss Debra White for Mehmood said that he had caused great embarrassment and upset to his parents and had show a great deal of remorse for his actions. "He is a young man who shows great promise," she added. "The passage of time has allowed him to reflect and he has moved on."

Rob Edwards for Akhtar said his client had accepted he had done wrong. "He has kept himself out of trouble. He had shown he can lead a law abiding lifestyle."

Judge Lowe sentenced Mehmood to a 12-month community order, 180 hours unpaid work and ordered him to pay the victim compensation of £350.

Akhtar was given a 12-month sentence suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.