Wednesday 8 December 2021

An Everyday Story Of Bus Travel...

A man who stabbed a father in front of his teenage son after a row broke out over loud music he was playing on a bus has waked (sic) free from court.

Errr, how? 

Marwan Alhassan, 36, was using a portable speaker at high volume while singing along on the top deck of a service from North Tyneside to Newcastle in May last year.
Several other passengers ‘remonstrated with’ him but he continued to disturb them, a court heard.
One furious passenger approached him ‘at very close quarters’ and subjected him to ‘vile and threatening abuse’, threats and racist comments before getting off.

And that, in the eyes of the pathetic excuse for our justice system, immediately turned a nuisance into a victim. Even when he subsequently went on to knife a totally different man! 

Having only seen the end of the confrontation, the father, who has not been named, then scolded Alhassan and went to get off the bus with his son.
Judge Julie Clemitson said Alhassan, in his own mind, ‘linked him with the racist man who had just got off’.
She said: ‘When he went downstairs you spat at him, which, not surprisingly, resulted in him not being pleased and coming back to reprimand you for that.’ A ‘scuffle’ then broke out between the pair, while the victim’s son went to alert the bus driver.

One wonders why the bus driver wasn't already fully aware... 

It was only after they got off that he noticed his dad was bleeding from a stab wound to the stomach.
Prosecutor Michael Bunch said Alhassan had knifed him using a ‘vicious implement’ consisting of two magnetic knives that could be attached together to form a single weapon.

Doesn't carrying a knife hold a heavy sentence these days? Reader, it does. But in this case, the judge delivered the lightest sentence she possibly could.:  

He was handed a 21-month suspended sentence, having spent six months in custody on remand, as well as orders to attend rehabilitation and carry out 240 hours’ unpaid work.

I'm only surprised she didn't award him some money from the poor box too... 

The judge said he poses a low risk of committing further offences, has a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and has mental health difficulties.

Doesn't the last part of that sentence risk cancelling out the first part? For normal people, it would. I guess we haven't been subject to the 'training' judges get...

What 'mental health issues', anyway?

Vic Laffey, defending, said Alhassan has witnessed atrocities and been exposed to trauma during his life and has been left with post traumatic stress disorder.

Here? Or...somewhere else?  

Mr Laffey said Alhassan, who has never been in trouble before, plans to live in London after his release.

Well, that's OK. I expect if he tries the same trick here, we'll see a replay of this famous scene:

 

H/T: Old Holborn via Twitter

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