Waiter lost eye after attack by workmate
A WAITER at a curry house lost an eye after a co-worker punched him in the face.
Maroof Hussain thumped his colleague after a drunken row at the Spice of India in Cuerdley, Warrington.
The blow left the victim with ‘catastrophic and life-changing injuries.’
Hussain, 20, was jailed after admitting inflicting grievous bodily harm.
The court heard he and his victim were picked up from their homes in Oldham in separate minibuses by the owners to work a shift in the restaurant on New Year’s Eve last year.
After customers had left the premises, formerly the Cuerdley Cross pub, staff began to drink vodka.
The defendant ‘became emotional’ about his mum being ill and made a remark about her having cancer.
Kitchen staff attempted to calm the dad down, but he was ‘getting het up and causing a scene.’
Later on, Hussain was sitting in the front passenger seat of a minibus at the rear of the restaurant waiting to be taken home. He was approached by the victim, who ‘asked if he thought cancer was something to joke about.’
Hussain then punched him once in the face, knocking him unconscious and leaving him with blood pouring from his left eye.
After being rushed to hospital, it was discovered that the 23-year-old had suffered a broken nose and eye socket. Surgeons later had to remove the eye. A victim statement read at Liverpool Crown Court described how he had twice attempted suicide and been left unable to work since the incident.
The statement added: “I have suffered catastrophic, life-changing injuries. I had a false eye fitted and I am really self-conscious about it. I’m paranoid people are staring at me in public.
“Younger family members are scared of me, my nieces and nephews won’t sit near me. I don’t know if I will ever recovery mentally.
“When I shut my eyes at night, the same question comes into my head – ‘what is there to live for?”
Hussain, who had no previous convictions, was seen crying in the dock as he was jailed for eight months.
Judge Andrew Menary said: “I accept you are genuinely remorseful, and will live with the regret for some time.