A well-meaning cabbie who intervened in a ‘mock ba

A well-meaning cabbie who intervened in a ‘mock battle’ of
insults traded between two good friends ended up being stabbed
in the chest for his trouble.

Kebab shop owner Ahmed Mustafa, 33, was regularly called
‘Turkey’ by a mini-cab controller called Alf who he in turn
nicknamed ‘Paki’, a court was told.

Mr Graham Davies, prosecuting, explained how in the early hours
of February 3 this year Mustafa walked from his takeaway into the
neighbouring Radio Cars cab office in High Road, Ilford, and started
swapping ‘insults’ with his friend.

Driver Manzoor Hussain, 33, saw Mustafa in what he thought was
an ‘agitated state’ and stepped in and there was a scuffle, Snaresbrook
Crown Court was told.

‘At this point Mustafa pulled out a knife from his right
hand coat pocket and swung it from side to side and then brought it up
in a stabbing motion towards his chest,’ said Mr Davies.

Seconds later Mustafa was persuaded to put the weapon away and he
left the office.

Mr Hussain, who lives in Walthamstow, suffered a small cut to
his chest which later needed a single stitch at hospital.

‘Fortunately the wound was not deep and did not interfere with
the chest cavity,’ added counsel.

Mustafa, who had some bruising to his neck from the scuffle,
was arrested an hour and a half later and made no reply during police
interviews.

Defence counsel Mr Patrick Cahill said that Mustafa and his pal
Alf had a ‘relationship where they called each other names in a mock
battle situation.

‘
Counsel explained that he was called ‘Turkey’ by Alf who he
would call ‘Paki’ although he was in fact a Sikh.

‘Anyone else might have thought it was a highly charged
situation.

‘
Mr Cahill told the court that Mr Hussain and another cabbie ‘took
a rather serious view’ of what was happening and pulled Mustafa away
hurting his back against a wall.

‘Mustafa was hurt and worried and that’s what led to his taking
the action he did.

‘
Mr Cahill said that Mustafa, a married man with two children,
would carry a knife for protection from attackers and robbers in his
takeaway.

Mustafa, of High Road, Ilford, pleaded guilty to unlawful
wounding.

Passing sentence Judge Geoffrey Grigson said: ‘The use of a
knife in these circumstances is serious and warrants a term of
imprisonment.

‘
He jailed Mustafa for four months imprisonment – but
suspended the term for 12 months after taking into account his
previous good character.

Mustafa, who had the proceedings related to him by a Turkish
interpretor, was ordered to pay his victim pnds stlg 100 in
compensation and pnds stlg 200 towards court costs.

ENDS