Man jailed for racist attack on cyclist
Categories: Latest News
Friday October 21 2016
The Wigan Observer reports on the jailing of a man who tried to force a cyclist off the road before physically assaulting him.
Liam Mountford, 30, admitted racially aggravated assault and driving without insurance or licence when he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court in connection with the attack on Shaheed Azeez.
The court heard the victim, Shaheed Azeez, was riding in the cycle lane of Ormskirk Road, Newtown, when a car driven by Mountford started to pass him and swerved in his direction in an attempt “to try to knock him off” his bike.
Azeez moved out of the way but the front seat passenger then attempted to “push him off his bike via an open window.”
When the car approached traffic lights and was required to halt, Mr Azeez tried to get past the car but a passenger door was opened causing him to lose his balance.
Mountford and his two passengers then got out of the car and one of them threw a can of beer over the victim’s face and T-shirt and verbally abused Mr Azeez with “foul and racist” language.
When Mr Azeez tried to run away, Mountford grabbed him by his T-shirt and began punching him to the body. All three men attacked him as he tried to defend himself. Azeez fell to the ground and the three men kicked him all the while racially abusing him.
Motorist Susan Klein, who witnessed the attack, got out of her car and shouted at the men to stop. The two passengers did but Mountford continued the assault, the court heard.
Miss Klein and another passer-by managed to pull Mr Azeez away from the men and the trio drove off. Mr Azeez suffered considerable injury in the assault. His t- shirt was ripped and he was left with a swollen face and a graze to his nose and arm.
Mountford was traced after a passer-by took a photograph of him and Miss Klein followed his car, noting the registration number.
In a victim statement read out to the court, Mr Azeez said “I think I was targeted because I am black. I feel traumatised and panic now. I’m lucky people stopped and rescued me.”
Mountford was jailed for 28 months and banned from driving for 26 months.
Judge Andrew Shaw told him, “This was a mob-handed racist attack in broad daylight… it was a completely unprovoked attack on a defenceless man simply because of the colour of his skin.”
The other two men have not as yet been identified.