Yobs jailed for drunken attack

10:48am Monday 1st September 2008

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A PAIR of drunken yobs who racially assaulted a kebab shop boss after he asked them to clean up their mess have been jailed.

Nathan Doyle and Grant Thomas, both from Bradford on Avon, left their victim with fractures to his cheekbone, eye socket and nose during the group attack.

And passing sentence a judge condemned their actions as a very bad example of drunken yobbish behaviour'.

Doyle, 18, and Thomas, 21, were among a group of youths who attacked Cem Ciftlik, who was partner in Station Kebab Shop on Frome Road, Bradford on Avon.

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, told Swindon Crown Court on Friday that Ciftlik had been having problems with a group of youths.

They would hang around outside on Friday and Saturday nights throwing food around and breaking bottles.

On October 12 various members of the group were outside the shop causing problems throwing food about and generally being difficult.

Mr Ciftlik went outside to speak to Thomas telling him if he didn't want to eat the food to put it in the bin to which he replied Oh yes Muslim brother'.

The group went away and at about 2am returned when two of the group entered the shop and one said Oi Muslim brother, give me some free food'.

As they were behaving themselves he gave them each a piece of chicken but they went outside and one immediately kicked it across the ground.

"He said that he had had enough and took a broom outside and told them to clean it up or they would be barred from the shop," Mr Meeke said.

Members of the group then shouted racist abuse at him swearing and calling him a Muslim and a Turk.

He tried to get Thomas to leave his shop but he snarled don't push me' before he and his pals set upon Mr Ciftlik punching and kicking him.

The two youths were arrested later that night and while Thomas said he could recall next to nothing Doyle told police he had been jumped by some Pakis'.

Doyle, of Priory Close, and Thomas, of Baileys Barn, both pleaded guilty to racially aggravated grievous bodily harm.

Paul Grumbar, for Doyle, said his client was remorseful and not a racist having Malaysian relatives and a girlfriend of Caribbean extraction.

He said the racist words were abuse uttered in the heat of the moment rather than a deliberate racist attack.

Doyle had experienced difficulties in his education but had found work with his grandfather working as a builder.

He urged the judge not to impose a custodial term saying he was not really equipped to deal with it'.

Alex Daymond, for Thomas, said his client realised he faced a jail term and felt he deserved it for what he had done.

Judge Douglas Field said: "You two, with others, attacked this man and you kicked and punched him and as a result he suffered serious injuries.

"This is a very bad example of drunken yobbish behaviour which the courts are determined to deal with seriously. It is racially aggravated and that make it more serious."

He jailed Doyle for two years and Thomas for two and a half saying he was older and had a record for violence.