Walsall Uber Eats driver who battered father-in-law with a hammer outside McDonalds avoids jail

Alom Shah, of Reservoir Close, Walsall, was caught on CCTV hitting his victim after being spat in the face. 

Shah, 43, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and possessing an offensive weapon in public at Wolverhampton Crown Court and was sentenced on Monday.

Shah claimed his father-in-law, who is in his 60s, had been threatening him over a family feud, and forbid him from picking up deliveries from Willenhall McDonalds, Crescent Road.

However, when an order came through on a January night in 2022 he accepted the order and drove to pick up the food, taking a hammer with him. When he got to McDonalds Shah was confronted by the older man who spat at him, it was then he hit him with a hammer several times.

The court was shown CCTV footage of the attack which happened in front of shocked customers. In a statement, Shah said: "I had been threatened by my father-in-law and his son previously and avoided McDonalds for three weeks. 

"But, I had to get an order and when I saw him I got a hammer from my car, which was there for repairs, because I was scared. I was incensed when I was spat in the face and regret hitting him with a hammer."

His victim was left with head injuries and Shah dislocated his shoulder hitting him with the hammer.

In mitigation, the court heard Shah suffered from depression and had not committed any offences since the attack or been in contact with his father-in-law. 

Judge John Butterfield KC sentenced the father-of-three to nine months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months. Shah will also have to undertake 20 days rehabilitation and 100 hours of unpaid work. He was ordered to pay his victim £300.

Judge Butterfield said: "You were there legitimately as part of your work as an Uber Eats driver. It is unclear why your victim was there. Your victim was left with nasty injuries, however, due to his statement not making sense or correlating with the CCTV footage we have to accept your version of events."

He added: "Due to your previous good character and there being no subsequent offending, and taking in mind how full prisons are now, I am minded to suspend your sentence