Teen guilty of stabbing man in city
ATEENAGER has been found guilty of wounding a man with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm by stabbing him outside a community centre.
Soheil Bahmanifard denied attempting to murder Amirreza Ramezani and was cleared of that count by a jury following a seven-day trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
It took the jury of seven men and five women about eight hours to return their unanimous verdict on the wounding charge.
The 18-year-old from Morden Lane in Newport had already admitted possessing a knife and unlawful wounding.
The court heard the incident happened outside The Gap community centre on Stow Hill in Newport on June 14.
Mr Ramezani, 27, who is originally from Iran, gave evidence on the second day of the trial with an interpreter next to him in the witness box.
He told the court he asked a passing driver to take him to hospital, but could not open the car door due to his injuries.
James Wilson, prosecuting, asked him if he could see blood and Mr Ramezani described blood “gushing” out of his wounds
Asked about his breathing, he replied: “It was getting harder and harder. And my mouth was getting drier and drier.”
The victim described two main injuries – one to his ribcage and another wound that went through his forearm.
When he was interviewed by the police, the defendant told officers: “He made me angry. He assaulted me. I defended myself.”
In his evidence, the defendant said: “He disrespected my mother and it upset me a lot. I said to him, ‘Shut up and close your mouth.’ Then the fight broke out. He assaulted me.”
Judge Neil Bidder QC thanked the jury for their work and said he would not sentence immediately.
He asked for an assessment of Bahmanifard’s age and remanded him in custody until the sentencing hearing on Friday, December 6.
Judge Bidder told the defendant: “You must realise that you have been convicted of a serious charge and that a lengthy custodial sentence is inevitable.”
He said he would determine the length of the custodial sentence after hearing from Bahmanifard’s barrister Harry Baker.
The judge said: “Until then, you remain in custody. Take him down please.”