Nelson man left for dead in 'respect row' (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Nelson man left for dead in 'respect row'

3:00pm Thursday 9th August 2012 in News

TWO businessmen and a worker said to have attacked a man and left him with multiple injuries were branded “bullies” by their alleged victim.

Asif Hussain, 39, was giving evidence at Burnley Crown Court where he told the jury that Mohammed Nawaz, Mohammed Arfan and Mohammed Javed were “without any shadow of a doubt” responsible for the violence which left medics thinking he would not survive as he was on his “deathbed”.

Brothers Nawaz, 44, of Hardy Avenue and Arfan, 36, of Manchester Road, both Nelson, who are associated with Dixie Chicken takeaways in Brierfield and Nelson, and co-defendant Javed, 41, of Burnley Road, Brierfield, all deny causing grievous bodily harm with intent on June 20, last year.

Javed was working at the Nelson restaurant at the time.

The court has heard claims the trio and Mr Hussain had been in an escalating dispute in the days leading up to June 20.

The defendants were said to have decided to attack Mr Hussain to punish him after they believed he had become disrespectful towards them. Prosecutor Mr Joe Boyd said: “The defendants were clearly of the view they were going to be able to intimidate him so much that he wasn't going to go to the police.”

Mr Hussain, father of a teenager, suffered a fractured skull and other injuries, allegedly at the hands of the three men, after they were said to have jumped out of a car and set about him with weapons in the middle of Colne Road, Brierfield.

The alleged victim is said to have been battered with a hammer, hit with a hockey stick and knifed and was then left unconscious on the ground as his attackers made off in the vehicle.

The alleged victim, who used to train regularly at the Bodies in Motion gym, in Brierfield, has been left with memory problems after the incident, the jury was told.

Cross-examined by Ben Morris, for Nawaz, Mr Hussain denied he had been the “muscle” for two drug dealers.

He replied: “I have got a 16-year-old daughter. I have to set an example.

“I am not going to be drug dealing or being muscle."”

(Proceeding)