Call for harsher sentences for two thugs convicted of assaulting litter warden
Calls have been made for the Attorney General to review the sentences of two men who attacked and racially abused a council worker.
Dudley Council made the plea after Raja Malik and Mohammed Nawaz pleaded guilty and were handed suspended sentences over the attack.
The litter warden was set upon with a wooden pole in Kates Hill whilst doing his job in August last year, but was not seriously injured.
Now the chief executive of Dudley Council has written to the Attorney General, Michael Ellis MP, to review the "unduly lenient" sentences.
Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said he had instructed Kevin O’Keefe to write the letter in a bid to get the two men re-sentenced.
Councillor Harley said: "We have thousands of staff who go out and about keeping our borough clean and safe for everyone.
"They should be able to do that without fear and that is why I instructed our chief executive to formally write to the Attorney General challenging the original sentencing.
"If nothing else, this sends out a clear message that we will do all we can to care for our staff even if that means challenging the highest levels of the legal process that should be there as an added layer of protection."
Malik was charged with assault and racially-aggravated assault and Nawaz was charged with assault and using an offensive weapon. Both men pleaded guilty.
The pair were sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on May 21 where Malik was given a nine month term of imprisonment suspended for two years, whilst Nawaz was handed a six month sentence suspended for one year.
The litter officer had spotted a woman flicking cigarette butts from a car window in Pickford Street, and later went to fine them when he saw the car parked in Jasmine Street.
But as he was taking their details, 30-year-old Malik emerged from a house and confronted the officer saying "everyone chucks cigarette butts... I've done it".
When the litter officer said he would call the police, Malik added: "You call police and I'll f***ing take your head off" and "Get the f*** off my property you white motherf***er".
Nawaz, 50, joined in and chased the council worker with a mop handle which shattered into several pieces due to the force of the blow inflicted upon the victim.
Officers identified the thugs and 18 days after the attack went to speak to them at an address in Jasmine Street. The men refused to let police inside and so, after several warnings, Inspector Pete Sandhu kicked open the front door.
Both were also ordered by Wolverhampton Crown Court to pay the victim £500 in compensation following their sentencing.
Inspector Sandhu, of Dudley Police, said at the time: "This was a really shocking incident, a violent attack and racist abuse against a council contractor who was simply doing his job.
"The women who’d been seen littering remained calm, engaged with the officer and urged the two men not to get involved. But they ignored their pleas, threatened the victim and Nawaz shattered a wooden pole over him as he tried to retreat.
"There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behaviour and the two men should be ashamed of their actions."
