‘Like a pack of animals!’
FOUR DEFENDENTS SPARED JAIL AFTER PARTY DESCENDED INTO BRAWL ON PUBLIC PATH
FOUR people, including a 70-yearold woman, have been spared jail after a ‘disgusting’ display of violence ‘like a pack of animals’ when a night of drinking descended into a brawl on a public path.
Margaret Docherty, 70, of Tweedale Street, and 42-year-old Lindsey Pollard, of Partington Street, were both at a party with 31-year-old Umar Ashiq, of Nicholson Street, to celebrate a neighbour’s 40th birthday, drinking outside one of the flats on the Freehold estate in Rochdale on the night of September 12, 2020.
As the group partied, 25-year-old Akib Iqbal, of Halifax Road, headed towards one of the flats with Madasar Iqbal.
As the trio walked past the gathering, Madasar’s partner made a comment to the group about Ashiq’s wife, which sparked a ‘disgusting’ display of violence that five people have now been sentenced for.
A hearing at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on Thursday morning, June 23, heard that everyone involved had been drinking that night before the incident, which started to build just before 11.10pm.
After both members of the Iqbal family returned to the flat, Docherty decided to confront Madasar’s partner for her words, going up to the front door of their flat.
After exchanging words, Docherty then punched Madasar with such force he fell backwards into his flat, and Docherty returned to the party.
Prosecutor Roger Brown told the court that this launched a much larger incident, after both members of the Iqbal family returned to the party minutes later, sparking a massive brawl. Madasar is seen on CCTV footage lifting his shirt, showing a weapon, before the footage shows the gathering descending into chaos.
Docherty and her son are seen arming themselves with chairs, before throwing them and smashing several windows, with
Pollard rushing towards Madasar’s partner and grabbing her by the hair, throwing her to the ground and attacking her repeatedly, before restraining her whilst Docherty landed ‘at least ten’ punches to her head.
Ashiq also kicked her twice as she lay on the ground, shortly after throwing a large metal object at the fight.
Mr Brown continued to describe the scene, saying Madasar had rushed Docherty’s son as he turned his back on the fray, attacking him in the back of the head with a weapon and leaving him seriously wounded.
Iqbal is seen on CCTV holding a plank as a weapon, and kicking out at Docherty’s son on one occasion. Docherty’s son, Pollard, and Madasar were all taken to hospital for treatment after the attack.
His Honour Judge Mark Savill heard that Ashiq is a man of previously good character, with no criminal record. Iqbal has a previous conviction for battery as a youth, dating back over a decade ago, whilst Docherty has several convictions, including wounding and common assault. Pollard also has several convictions for common assault.
Gwen Henshaw, defending Pollard, told the court that her client’s five-year-old daughter would be taken into care if her mum was sent to prison. She also asked for leniency for the mum, who has a mental health problem and has been affected by domestic abuse and ‘tragedy involving another child’ in the past. Madasar Iqbal, although referenced heavily in the proceedings, appeared before the courts separately to answer charges of wounding and affray in relation to his attack on Docherty’s son. Judge Savill sentenced him to three years and seven months in custody at a hearing on May 5 this year. At Thursday’s hearing, he imposed suspended sentences on all four defendants.
Passing sentence, Judge Savill said: “They should go to prison, there’s no doubt about that, but I find it very difficult to start with a 42-year-old woman with a fiveyear-old daughter who won’t see her tonight for an offence committed two years ago. Were it not so serious it would almost be laughable. What is a 70-year-old woman doing in the dock?
“This quite disgraceful episode of disorder was confined to those who have been charged and those related to them. Quite what all of you thought you were doing on that night is completely beyond me.
“I can’t impose as severe punishments on each of you as I might like because of your personal circumstances.”
All four defendants admitted a charge of affray.
Iqbal was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 30 rehabilitation activity days and 150 hours unpaid work.
Ashiq was also sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete ten rehabilitation activity days and 100 hours unpaid work.
Docherty was sentenced to ten months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 15 rehabilitation activity days and abide by an electronically monitored curfew between 8pm-7am for three months.
Pollard was handed 12 months imprisonment, suspended for 12 months, and ordered to complete 30 rehabilitation activity days, abiding by a curfew from 9pm-7am for three months. Pollard will have her curfew lifted for 10 days in July to allow her to go on holiday to Spain with her daughter.
Quite what all of you thought you were doing on that night is completely beyond me Judge Mark Saville