Man jailed for smashing up front room in feuding families' revenge attack
A man who smashed up the front room of a house causing thousands of pounds of damage in a revenge attack has been jailed.
Mohammed Rehman, 21, Shafiq Ur Rehman, 18, and a youth invaded the terraced house in Lewis Street, Birchills, in Walsall, armed with weapons including a machete and a baseball bat on April 8, 2021.
A sentencing hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, sitting at the magistrates court on Thursday, heard how the defendants kicked in the front door before entering and smashing up a TV and ornaments at about 8.30pm. When the female householder arrived home a short time later she was punched in the face.
Prosecuting barrister Stephan Kolodynski said Mohammed Rehman's car had been damaged earlier that same evening and that it was a case of "revenge" linked to a feud between families.
Rehman, a carer from Walsall, and the youth had denied offences of burglary together with others with intent to cause unlawful damage, but both were found guilty following a trial in January.
Mitigating barrister Mr Lewis Perry said Mohammed Rehman was of low risk of re-offending and asked the court to give him a community sentence.
But District Judge Adrian Lower, sitting as a recorder, jailed him for four years. The 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age was sentenced to a 12-month youth rehabilitation order. Both were also made subject to indefinite restraining orders meaning they must not contact the victim in any way.
They must pay the victims' surcharge totalling £112. There was no order for compensation or costs.
Following a separate trial this month Shafiq Ur Rehman, also of Walsall, who was found not fit to plead to the charges due to his learning disability, was given a hospital order after the jury decided that he too carried out the acts.
