Two brothers punched a woman in the face after a petty row about football marks on a car. Shahid Alam, 44, and Tuhidul Alam, 47, turned up at the house in Withington after one of their children was accused of kicking a ball against their neighbour's car.
Shahid marched to the house and knocked on the door. He stormed in and a fight erupted.
Several family members got involved in the melee, which caught the attention of Tuhidul, of School Grove, as he drove by. He too joined in the scrap, Manchester Crown Court heard.
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Once the fight had calmed down, Shahid approached the neighbour - a 59-year-old woman - and punched her in the face in an unprovoked attack. She was knocked to the floor and left with a split lip.
Both Shahid and Tuhidul Alam pleaded guilty to affray. Shahid admitted a further offence of assault.
Prosecutor Joe Boyd said the incident dates back to four-and-a-half years ago, in June 2018, on School Grove in Withington when the parties were neighbours.
“Clearly, there was bad feeling between the two,” the prosecutor said.
At around 8pm an argument broke after the victims found their car had football marks on it, with the suggestion that one of the Alam brother’s children was involved.
CCTV footage shown to the court captured Shahid Alam knocking on the front door, and immediately as it opened, walked into the house.
A scuffle broke out between him and one of the victims, and moments later, Shahid was punched to the face and pushed backwards.
Mr Boyd said there was a ‘general melee’ between the defendants and the victims. During this the mother of the two young male victims came out of the house, but she was pushed backwards.
“There were punches being thrown, they were ripping hair out and punching the elderly woman,” he said. Prosecutors described the incident as a ‘long assault’.
“Tuhudul Alam had driven by and seen many of the witnesses, as well as his brother Shahid - he too became involved,” Mr Boyd said.
“The group were standing on the edge of the drive when Shahid Alam walked towards the mother, and, with no provocation, punched the elderly mother to the face causing her to fall to the floor. It also caused her lip to be split open.
During the fight, one of the other neighbours tried to intervene, and was commended by the sentencing judge for her bravery.
“Both defendants had punched her [the woman] to the face, which caused her to stumble back. She was 59 at the time,” the prosecutor continued.
“The children were seen to encourage the assault, and there were many people present.”
Mitigating for Shahid Alam, Hunter Grey said he has since moved away from the area.
“He lost his temper,” he said.
“When he arrived at home that day he received a complaint from the children about the victim’s family behaviour. We say the footage showed they launched themselves at my client and he is the victim.
“He went too far, he didn’t let go, the assault continued and he accepted his actions went far below self defence. His actions towards the mother are disgraceful - there is no excuse.”
He added that his client suffers from a degenerative spine condition, which he was diagnosed with before the incident, but has since deteriorated.
And for Tuhidul Alam, Brendan O’Leary said his client initially went to the house to protect his brother but he too went ‘beyond sensible self defence’.
“He accepts he struck twice at the woman,” Mr O’Leary said.
“He became visibly upset in his interview when discussing the events and the impact on the victims. He said he was deeply remorseful, ashamed and embarrassed of his actions.
“He went too far and he does not seek to justify his actions.”
Sentencing, Judge Alan Conrad KC said: “You have both pleaded guilty to charges which arose from a quite disgraceful incident on your neighbours. Violence was used by both of you and injuries were caused to the family.
“During the incident, both of you punched a woman, who was much older than you. You should be ashamed of that.”
Shahid Alam, of Stanley Street, Manchester, was handed 27 weeks imprisonment which was suspended for 18 months. He must abide by an electronically monitored curfew for four months between the hours of 9pm and 6am and must complete 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.
Tudihul Alam, of School Grove, was sentenced to a two year community order, 200 hours unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirements.
Shahid was also ordered to pay £200 court costs, and Tuhidul must pay £500.
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