A youth accused of savagely knifing a driver durin

A youth accused of savagely knifing a driver during a fight
caused by a youthful prank was cleared by an Old Baily jury.

Victim Mr Sibtaim Bukhari, 19, was stabbed in the arm as he
went to find the culprit from amongst a group of youths outside
an East Ham video shop.

Zahid Hussain, 20, was accused of wielding the Stanley knife
which inflicted the injury.

He admitted being among the group but strenuously denied
being the knifeman.

He was acquitted of wounding with intent to cause grievous
bodily harm and related charges.

Mujtaba Khan, 16, and his brother Mustafa, 19, were also
cleared variously on charges of violence and perverting the
course of justice leading from the incident.

The prosecution claimed Mr Bukhari and his passenger, Qamar
Iqbal, 18, were set upon by the group after an egg was thrown
at their car in Green Street, East Ham, on April 4 last year.

Mujtaba Khan joined forces with Hussain, who took the Stanley
knife from his jacket and lashed out at Mr Bukhari, it was
alleged.

Mr Iqbal was wounded in the ear during the fracas.

Mr Bukhari claimed he was approached the next day by the
Khan brothers and threatened with violence if he pursued the
allegation.

The prosecution case relied wholly on the evidence of the
two victims but the jury heard inconsistencies between
their two versions of the events.

The judge warned the jury not to convict unless they were
certain that the victims’ claims against the defendants were
the truth.

If there was any reasonable doubt, he directed that the benefit
must go to the defendants, none of whom gave evidence.

The jury deliberated for two hours before clearing Hussain, of
Burges Road, East Ham, of wounding Mr Bukhari with intent to cause
grievous bodily harm and unlawfully wounding Mr Iqbal.

Mujtaba Khan, of Romford Road, Forest Gate, was cleared on the
judge’s direction of the same charges, as well as affray and
perverting the course of justice.

Mustafa Khan, also of Romford Road, had charges of perverting
the course of justice against him dropped after the verdict.

ENDS