One-punch attacker spared jail by 'a whisker'

Kamran Ahmed was sentenced at Bradford Crown Court

A judge has told a man he came "within a whisker of going to prison" for a one-punch attack which left his victim with a life-changing brain injury.

Kamran Ahmed, of Leyburn Grove, Shipley, was given an 18-month jail sentence, but it was suspended for two years because he was only 19 at the time and his mother was seriously ill with cancer, the judge at Bradford Crown Court said on Monday.

Ahmed, now 21, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding without intent after the incident on Main Street, Bingley, in June 2024.

CCTV footage showed the victim, who had intervened after a woman had a phone knocked from her hand by Ahmed, hit his head on the ground after being punched.

He spent 10 weeks in hospital after the assault and now needed help in various aspects of his day-to-day life as a result of the injury which had affected his speech, co-ordination and mobility, the court was told.

Barrister Jeremy Hill-Baker, for Ahmed, said the attack happened during "a rapidly moving incident at night" and his client believed someone had directed racist abuse towards him and thought something was being filmed on the mobile phone.

He said Ahmed had struck out a single blow in "immature panic" and had not intended to cause any serious harm.

'Shattered lives'

The victim, who had been out that night with his family and friends, hit his head on the ground, the court was told.

Prosecutor Sophie Lamb said he needed 17 stitches in his head wound and had to be put on a ventilator at hospital to help with his breathing.

She said the complainant now walked with the aid of crutches and had problems with his speech and memory.

In a victim impact statement, read out in court by his stepson, the victim described how his life had been irretrievably altered by the assault.

The father-of-two said: "Before this attack I was a proud working man, but I've lost my job due to my injuries."

He said the sense of purpose and identity which came with his job had been "ripped away" from him and he now felt like his life was no longer his own.

"This was not just an attack on one man. It was an attack that shattered the lives of those who loved me," he said.

'I'm truly sorry'

The court heard that Ahmed, who had no previous convictions, had admitted the offence at the earliest opportunity.

Mr Hill-Baker read a letter of apology from Ahmed, who wrote: "I'm truly sorry for what happened and deeply regret my actions.

"What happened that night is not a true reflection of my character and that makes me feel ashamed."

Recorder Bryan Cox KC accepted that Ahmed was genuinely remorseful and the appropriate sentence could be reduced to 18 months with his guilty plea.

He then explained that the sentence would be suspended for two years because of Ahmed's age at the time of the offence, the realistic prospect of rehabilitation and the fact that his mother was seriously ill with cancer.

As part of his suspended jail sentence Ahmed will have to do 250 hours unpaid work for the community and comply with 30 rehabilitation activity requirement days.

"I want you to understand you have come within a whisker of going to prison immediately today," the judge said.

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