Victim hit over the head with a HAMMER by thug outside car hire business

Sheffield Crown Court heard on June 16 how Omar Ali, aged 28, of Selwyn Street, Eastwood, Rotherham, was approached by the complainant after he had parked in the forecourt of a car hire business and the defendant got out of his car and assaulted the complainant.

Recorder Craig Hassall QC told Ali: “It is in my view an ugly incident that took place on the forecourt of a car hire business.”

The court heard Ali had been involved in a previous vehicle-related dispute with the complainant on behalf of another person but Recorder Hassall said that had been settled and no explanation was given why there was any further ill-feeling between the defendant and the complainant.

Brian Russell, prosecuting, said both Ali and the complainant drove their vehicles into the forecourt on April 15 after the defendant thought he was being followed by the complainant.

Mr Russell added the complainant got out of his vehicle and approached the defendant who got out of his car with a hammer and struck the complainant to the head causing a laceration.

Ali, who has previous convictions, pleaded guilty to a Section 20 unlawful wounding offence and he admitted breaching a previously imposed Serious Crime Prevention Order because he had failed to report a new mobile telephone number to the police.

Rebecca Tanner, defending, said: “It’s an unpleasant injury but it’s a wound that was glued and in clinical terms it is described as a minor head injury.”

She added Ali has been recalled to prison until July, 2023, after he had committed the assault following his release from custody on licence in relation to a previous conviction.

Recorder Hassall QC tol Ali: “There was no ill-feeling to begin to justify your use of a hammer to inflict a wound upon him in that incident in April this year.”

He sentenced Ali to 18 months of custody.