Drunk stabbed mosque guard
DOORMAN KNIFED AS BROTHERS ATTACKED WORSHIPPERS
A DRUNK man stabbed a volunteer guarding the door at a Cardiff mosque with a 6in “Rambo” knife as he and his brother confronted worshippers during Ramadan.
The details of the knife attack at the Dar-Ul-Isra Mosque were made public yesterday for the first time as brothers Luke and Liam Thomas were sentenced.
Newport Crown Court heard they had cycled past the mosque and Muslim welfare and education centre in Wyverne Road, Cathays, just after 1.20am on June 2.
They shouted at the worshippers gathered outside calling them “f***ing pus***s, you’re all f***ing pus***s”.
They then attacked the men on the door and younger brother Liam, 20, was heard to say “come on, let’s go”.
Members of the mosque used chairs to defend themselves and one was stabbed in the upper abdomen and a cut to his thigh.
He needed a number of stitches, according to the prosecution. Another victim had grazes to his arms.
Liam Thomas was detained in an alleyway and arrested. Luke Thomas initially ran off, but was pursued by members of the mosque.
The knife was found and provided to the police.
Luke Thomas said: “It’s my knife, I use it for protection.”
The court was told Luke Thomas gave a prepared statement to police claiming his brother was attacked and he accepted throwing “a couple of punches”.
He said he did not recall stabbing anyone.
Liam Thomas had denied any wrongdoing, saying it was lawful self-defence.
Nick Gedge, defending Luke Thomas, said his client was a cannabis user who had been affected by depression and had “fallen in with a bad crowd”.
Susan Ferrier, defending Liam Thomas, said her client was a young man who had a “disrupted childhood”, but was now working on a farm and had “turned a corner” in his life.
Luke Thomas, 20, from Harlech Road in Rumney, was sent to a young offenders institution for five years and three months.
He had previously pleaded guilty on July 2 to possessing an offensive weapon and wounding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm.
He had 19 previous offences on his record.
Liam Thomas, 18, from North Road in Gabalfa, who admitted affray, was given an 18-month sentence suspended for 18 months.
He had previously denied common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The Crown added a further count of affray and he pleaded guilty.
Judge Nicola Jones said: “You have got a chance to turn your life around here. I think you are worthy of a chance.”
The court heard the defendants were intoxicated, with Judge Jones describing their actions as “the behaviour of drunken louts, frankly”.
The judge said she accepted the behaviour was not religiously motivated.
“You Luke Thomas took a knife there and brandished it and made threats, repeated threats,” she said.
The court heard the 999 calls showed “considerable distress” from the people inside the mosque.
The judge said none of the victims made personal statements.
“They are to be praised for the way they dealt with the situation on the night,” she said.
Judge Jones made an order for £500 compensation to be paid to the mosque.
After sentencing, Kelly Huggins of the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales said: “This was a deliberate act of violence with a dangerous weapon resulting in serious injuries.
“Incidents of this nature can often result in loss of life; fortunately that was not the case here.
“The support of the community in bringing the attackers to justice has been significant, and we thank them for their cooperation in the court process.”