Homeless thug attacks three people in city during drunken rampage
AN INTOXICATED thug attacked a couple with a walking stick before attacking a man later the same day with a metal pole.
Saddam Miah, 30, carried out the assaults on three strangers in Cardiff on August 3 last year for no apparent reason, having approached them out of the blue.
The first attack was on couple Radoslav Slisko and Jana Sliskova in Grangetown when Miah struck Mrs Sliskova’s leg with a wooden walking stick. When Mr Slisko intervened, he struck him twice over the head.
The second attack saw Miah and his co-defendant Saad Ibrahim, 36, assault David Tobin in Riverside later that afternoon when the victim refused to give him a lift.
A sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court on Friday heard the assault on Mr Slisko and Mrs Sliskova continued when Miah returned and struck Mr Slisko with the stick until it broke.
He then brandished a metal pole and hit the victim with it.
Prosecutor Josh Scouller said Mr
Slisko was hospitalised and suffered bruising to his scalp and the right side of his face, swelling to his left hand and grazes to his leg and elbow.
Mrs Sliskova suffered a bruise and tenderness to the leg.
Later that day, Miah approached Mr Tobin and asked him for a lift to Machen Place, but Mr Tobin was confused and thought the defendant was intoxicated.
When Mr Tobin continued to walk on, Miah and Ibrahim appeared to follow him and the former kicked out at a wing mirror of a parked car.
Miah then ran in front of the victim and grabbed his shirt, and Ibrahim shouted: “Leave it alone”.
Miah then took a “boxing stance” and swung a punch to the left side of Mr Tobin’s face.
Both men then grabbed one another and Miah tried to throw more punches. When the victim punched Miah back, Ibrahim said: “Don’t go hitting my mate” and grabbed hold of Mr Tobin.
The victim tried to evade the defendants and when Miah fell to the ground, Mr Tobin kicked him in the face. Ibrahim then grabbed Mr Tobin and held him while Miah grabbed a metal pole and swung it at the victim’s head and hand.
Mr Tobin then fell to the ground and the two men kicked and punched him. Ibrahim then picked up a wheelie bin and tried to strike him with it.
At that stage a crowd gathered round and the defendants left the scene.
Shortly afterwards both Miah, of HMP Cardiff, and Ibrahim, of Despenser Street, Riverside, were arrested in Machen Place.
The defendants both pleaded guilty to one count of wounding, and Miah also pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
In mitigation, Andrew Taylor, for
Miah, said his client was drunk at the time of the offences and was effectively homeless.
He added: “He was sofa-surfing, had nowhere to live, thought his life was aimless and took solace in drink.
“His memory of the incident is at best sketchy. He has no malice against the victims. He was very drunk and apologises.”
John Ryan, for Ibrahim, said his client was initially attempting to stop Miah during the attack on Mr Tobin but after the victim punched his codefendant, things “went from bad to worse” and he made a “stupid decision”.
Sentencing, Judge Catherine Richards said: “You attacked members of the public who were going about their lawful business.”
Miah was sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment and Ibrahim was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out a rehabilitation activity requirement and 200 hours of unpaid work.