Jail for man who slashed hotel guest across stomach Pair had been fighting after row over slamming doors
AMAN was slashed in the stomach in a hotel corridor after a row over doors being slammed escalated into a bloody fight.
Yazar Iqbal received a 15cm slash across his stomach when Brazan Mohammedadin, 26, swung a pocket knife towards him inside the Scarisbrick Hotel.
The pair had been fighting for a couple of minutes when Iraqi-born Mohammedadin pulled out the weapon.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the victim only realised he had been cut when he spotted blood on his T-shirt as returned to his room to put on shoes ready to resume their fight.
Prosecuting, Ken Grant said: “At about 8.15pm Mr Iqbal was in his room watching a movie.
“In the corridor outside of his room there are fire doors which he heard being slammed.
“This happened a couple of times and it disturbed his viewing of the film so he went out onto the corridor to find out who was responsible for slamming the doors.
“When outside in the corridor he saw this defendant, Mr Mohammedadin, with another man who were talking with each other.
“Mr Iqbal told the defendant and the other man not to open and close the fire doors as they had done previously.
“The defendant approached Mr Iqbal and asked if he was alright.”
Mr Grant explained that Mr Ibal told the police that Mohammedadin was holding a 35cl bottle of whiskey which had only a small amount left in it and asked the victim ‘are you shouting at me?’
Mr Grant said: “The defendant then approached Mr Iqbal and pushed him and in response Mr Iqbal pushed him back, at which point the defendant then punched Mr Iqbal in the head and Mr Iqbal retaliated by punching back.
“For about two minutes the men exchanged blows.”
The third man, who was not named in court, then intervened to separate the pair.
“Mr Iqbal then described to the police that the defendant produced a knife from a pocket in his jeans. Mr Iqbal described the knife as being about 5-6 inches long.
“He started to swing it in front of Mr Iqbal telling him that he would kill him.
“The defendant then swung the knife that he was holding across towards the direction of Mr Iqbal’s stomach.
“At this point, Mr Iqbal, who had been in the corridor shoeless at the time, decided to go back into his room to put some shoes on.”
Mr Iqbal told police that he intended to go back out to continue the fight but once in his room, noticed blood on his T-shirt and only then realised that he had been cut open.
He also received a black eye and was taken for treatment at hospital for a cut measuring 15cm but did not need to stay overnight and has no lasting injuries.
Both men were staying in the hotel, on Lord Street in Southport town centre, while they awaited decisions on applications for asylum.
Mohammedadin, who moved to the UK from Iraq in 2016, had already been rejected but had appealed the decision.
Defending, Peter Killen said that the attack was an isolated incident which was not premeditated and that Mohammedadin had not been in any trouble with police in the past.
He referenced a pre-sentence report which states it is likely that he had suffered from trauma in his own country which would contribute to emotional instability.
Mr Killen explained that Mohammedadin had worked as a barber in Iraq but was unable to work while he sought asylum.
He added: “By dint of his situation, he’s been unable to work and appears to have been living a listless life which has caused him to be low in mood and suffer anxiety and depression.”
The judge, Recorder David O’Mahony, said that a custodial sentence was inevitable and handed Mohammedadin 42 weeks in prison.
He also issued a restraining order banning Mohammedadin from contacting the victim or returning to the Scarisbrick Hotel.