A man attacked a group of men city at a bus stop in Leeds city centre following a night out.
Jabbar Hussain, 30, was part of a group of men that targeted another in a brawl outside McDonald's on Albion Street in January last year. The affray, a charge which Hussain admitted, led to one of the men being stabbed in the leg.
Leeds Crown Court on Monday that a man watched from the fast food restaurant as a group approached two of his friends who were waiting at a bus stop.
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Prosecutor Benjamin Bell said: "A group of men were shouting 'd***head' and 'p********'" One of the group approached one of the men at the bus stop and punched him four times in the face. The victim was dragged away by another man who "stood up to defend his friend." Mr Bell said he was then punched by three men.
Mr Bell said: "During this point the man left McDonald's and saw his friends being set upon by the men. The defendant left the area, came back and the complainant ran towards to help his friends. He placed himself between the two groups and got a sharp sting in his leg. This was later found to be a stab wound."
The man fell to the floor and was taken to hospital for treatment to the 1cm by 2cm wound. The court was told Hussain did not know about the stabbing until he and other members of the group he was with were in a car, having fled the scene. He was later arrested after the Volkswagen Golf was spotted by officers who had a circulated photograph of him.
Judge Penelope Belcher was shown CCTV of the affray during Monday's hearing. The court was told in his police interview, Hussain, of Coben Street, Darlaston, West Midlands, accepted being at the scene but said he did not stab the complainant. He accepted he had caused bruising by punching a man at the scene.
In a victim impact statement, the man who had been stabbed told how he had been left "distraught" by the incident and "fearful of going out" in case it happened again.
Mitigating, Michael Walsh told the court Hussain had no previous convictions. He said: "He didn't know anybody was carrying a knife. He didn't know when it was used that anyone was carrying a knife. In his interview he said what he maintains that the first he knew a knife was involved was when he was in the vehicle."
The court was told Hussain believed racial slurs had been said before the affray. Mr Walsh said he has distanced himself from those who were also involved and is embarking on a career as an electrician with his father. He added: "I have every hope to believe he won't be troubling the courts again."
Judge Belcher made Hussain the subject of a 12-month suspended sentence.
The court was told no other arrests have been made in relation to the incident.
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