Thugs were like a 'pack of dogs'

A man was left with brain damage after a group of men pursued him “like a pack of dogs” and beat him, a court heard.

Two of 52-year-old James Ferguson’s attackers were respectable professional men and devout Muslims, but their behaviour that night was “utterly terrible,” said a judge.
The group knocked Mr Ferguson to the ground, then kicked and punched him senseless, causing brain damage which may affect him for the rest of his life.
At Gloucester Crown Court carer Farhan Moosajee, 24, of St Swithun's Road,
Hempsted, was jailed for five and a half years and fire service worker Zain Shaikh, 22, of Bishops Castle Way, Barton, got two and a half years.

Both admitted attacking Mr Ferguson with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm on him on May 15 in the city centre last year.
Moosajee’s attack had been the most prolonged and CCTV footage showed him repeatedly stamping on Mr Ferguson’s head.

Article continues below


The prosecution accepted that Shaikh had played a much lesser role in the attack than Moosajee
They said Shaikh was so conscience stricken afterwards that he gave himself up to police.
Prosecutor Lisa Hennessy said Moosajee and his friends were sitting in his car in Barton Street, after a night out when Mr Ferguson walked drunkenly by.
He took a swing at one of the group, which led to Moosajee and the others running after him and unleashing the attack.

“They pursued him almost like a pack of dogs running him to the ground,” said Ms Hennessy.
They then subjected him to a very ferocious assault.
Mr Ferguson was later found unconscious and in a critical condition.
He had no memory of what happened and the last thing he remembered was the previous afternoon.
When he arrived at the hospital accident unit his score on the Glasgow Coma scale was 3 – the lowest level.
He had a right-sided head injury, lacerations on his right temple and forehead and swelling around his left eye.
He had blood around his nostrils. A brain scan showed he had a fractured skull and subdural haematoma.

She said Mr Ferguson suffered from impaired verbal reasoning as a result of the damage and had poor concentration and difficulty multi-tasking.
He was discharged from hospital on May 21 but was likely to continue experiencing difficulties, said the prosecutor.

The prosecutor added that more men are likely to be charged in relation to the attack.
Carole Knott, for Moosajee, said he had been disgusted by his actions.
“He is deeply sorry for what he did,” she said.
“All his family are law abiding citizens – sensible, respectable members of the community.
“He had a job which he really enjoyed as a carer and he has lost that now.”
“He had plans to go through with an arranged marriage procedure with his family next year, but that is going to have to be put on hold.”

Paul Jackson said his client Shaikh had kicked the victim only twice and not to the head.
Although he had drank that night he had not done so since.
Shaikh could be seen on CCTV to be “dithering” about getting involved.
He was also seen remonstrating with the rest of the group, questioning why they were continuing the attack, he said.
Mr Jackson said Shaikh was re-instated at the fire service in November. Asking for a suspended sentence, Mr Jackson said Shaikh was in a position to pay £2,000 compensation to Mr Ferguson.
Sentencing the two men, Judge Martin Picton said: “What happened on this night was utterly terrible.
“Whatever the victim may have done to cause offence cannot justify the reaction of a group of young men who pursued an obviously drunk and vulnerable man down the street as a pack and attacked him savagely.”