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Man knifed after ‘terrorist joke’

25/ 3/2008

A TEENAGER who knifed a man said to have accused him of being a terrorist is behind bars for 18 months.

Uwes Khan, 18, left victim Bradley Richens so seriously injured after the attack last July, he was taken to Fairfield Hospital, Bury, and then transferred to Wythenshaw.

He had suffered a 16cm inside wound to his face which had passed through his ear, dividing it.

The laceration had gone through all the layers of the skin, Burnley Crown Court heard.

Khan, of Bury Road, Haslingden, who had no previous convictions, admitted wounding.

Aggressive

David Tempkin, prosecuting, told the court Khan had pleaded guilty on the basis the victim had been aggressive and overbearing.

Mr Tempkin said Mr Richens had drunk about eight pints and was on a bus about 9.30pm.

Khan and another Asian male were on the bus and Mr Richens accepted he joked to Khan about him blowing up the bus.

Khan and his friend were not amused and Mr Richens apologised. The court heard that the bus arrived in Rawtenstall, Khan got off and when he passed the victim he racially abused Mr Richens.

Mr Tempkin said the victim was heard to say: ‘If you want to get it on, get it on here,’ and he approached the two Asian men and told them: ‘I will take you on, but one at a time.’

The defendant and victim threw punches at each other.

The prosecutor said Mr Richens would say he was confronted by the defendant who had a knife in his hand.

Mr Richens knew something was going to happen, tried to throw a punch at the defendant and Khan then struck a single blow to the right hand side of his head.

Khan and his friend then ran off.

Mr Tempkin said the victim was taken to hospital and had to undergo plastic surgery; there was no nerve injury and he was discharged from hospital the next day.

CCTV from the bus was seized and Khan was identified and arrested.

He claimed when the victim had got on the bus he was loud and trying to intimidate and bully the man with him before turning his attention to him, asking: ‘Are you terrorists? Are you going to blow us up?’

The defendant said he had told him he was not looking for trouble.

Khan claimed Mr Richens prevented him getting off the bus and said he had a knife and would kill him.

The defendant alleged the victim asked for a fight, ran up behind him and hit him.

Khan said he had had to go to hospital with an injury to his jaw and a bleeding nose.

Mr Tempkin said Khan claimed he had been trying to get the knife away from Mr Richens. He denied lunging at the victim and said Mr Richens attacked him and that is why the knife came into contact with him.