Muslim Jaguar car worker, 23, who posed for 'sinister' photograph pointing an AK47 at the camera days after the Charlie Hebdo attacks is sacked

• Khalid Usman, 23, has been sacked by Jaguar after posing with AK47 rifle
• He showed stunned colleagues the 'aggressive' and 'sinister' photographs
• Usman, from Birmingham, said he was sacked due to racial discrimination
• An employment tribunal lasted seven days and ruled that he lost his claim 

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Khalid Usman, 23, (pictured) posed with the deadly weapon and wore a 'have a got at me face' which was similar to those in 'Dirty Harry' films, an employment tribunal heard

A Muslim car plant worker has been sacked by Jaguar after he 'intimidated' colleagues by showing them pictures of him clutching an AK47 assault rifle - just days after the Charlie Hebdo terrorist atrocity.

Khalid Usman, 23, posed with the deadly weapon and wore a 'have a go at me face', similar to those in 'Dirty Harry' films, an employment tribunal heard.

He was in Pakistan when the photographs were taken and Mr Usman, from Birmingham, West Midlands, argued that 'guns are part of the Pakistani culture' in that particular region.

But when he returned to the UK, Mr Usman showed the 'sinister', 'aggressive' and 'menacing' pictures on his phone to shocked workers who were left feeling intimidated.

He did so just days after the Charlie Hebdo killing spree in Paris on January 7 this year, a terrorist attack which killed 11 employees at the satirical weekly newspaper.

Mr Usman was the shown the door by Jaguar Land Rover after he proudly shared the images with frightened employees, the hearing in Birmingham heard. 

Mr Usman has now lost a legal action against the motor giant after claiming his dismissal was due to racial discrimination.

The hearing heard the company's reputation would be tarnished if the photographs fell into the hands of the press.

Sarah George, representing Jaguar Land Rover, said the pictures showed Mr Usman pointing an AK47 at the camera.

She said: 'Mr Usman wore a challenging 'have a go at me' facial expression in the images, similar to those seen in the Dirty Harry films.

'The images were regarded as sinister, aggressive and menacing.'

Miss George added workers found the photos offensive and intimidating. One was frightened and wondered why Mr Usman was dressed in black.

But Mr Usman, who worked at the company's Castle Bromwich plant, stressed in a witness statement that there were no sinister motives behind the snaps.

He was holidaying in a remote, mountainous part of Pakistan where it is common to carry arms as protection against bandits when he posed for the pictures. 

Mr Usman, who had been employed by Jaguar for a year, said: 'Guns are part of the Pakistani culture in this region. 

'The images could only be viewed by my friends and family but I was asked to show them to work colleagues on my return to work.'

Mr Usman argued that his dismissal was down to racial discrimination.

He added: 'I was the only Pakistani Muslim working in C block.' 

After a hearing lasting several days, tribunal judge Charles Camp announced that Mr Usman had lost his racial discrimination claim.