A teenager was today (Tuesday) cleared of a violen

A teenager was today (Tuesday) cleared of a violent attack just feet from the office door of Diane Abbott as his victim went to attend a surgery meeting with the MP.

The elected representative for Hackney North and Stoke Newington was called to give an eye-witness account of the incident in July last year.

But giving evidence at London’s Southwark Crown Court, three days after the Samurai sword attack on Liberal Democrat Nigel Jones, Ms Abbot also let slip how she always remained on her guard for trouble.

She said she was alerted by raised voices at the Old Fire Station, Stoke Newington, where she holds surgeries to meet with constituents.

‘If you hold a surgery in Stoke Newington you have always got your ears open for any foolishness outside,’ said Ms Abbott.

Asked if it was ‘safer than Cheltenham’, she replied: ‘Yes.

You have always got your ears open.

It has never happened, thank goodness, but you have always got your ears open because things can get heated.

‘

The Cheltenham reference followed the attack on Mr Jones in his constituency office leaving the 51-year-old needing more than 60 stitches to slash wounds, and his friend and assistant and county councillor Andrew Pennington dead from multiple stab wounds.

Ms Abbott was giving evidence against Tyrone Campbell, 18, who was accused of punching 38-year-old civil servant Tahir Khan and stealing his mobile ‘phone.

The teenager, of Leswin Road, Stoke Newington, denied robbery on July 30 last year, but admitted a charge of common assault on the victim’s father, 66-year-old Abdul Khan.

However, a jury took only 45 minutes to clear him of robbery.

Mr Ian Mason, prosecuting, said the father and son had been going to meet their MP.

As they got out of the car the older man appeared to be struck by a ‘lad’ on a bicycle, and warned the youngster to be more careful.

He said suddenly Mr Khan senior was pushed from behind and fell to the ground.

The pair were confronted by Campbell who accused the older man of assaulting his younger brother.

The pair ignored the defendant but were again confronted by him outside the MP’s surgery.

‘Tahir Khan had his mobile phone in his hand and was about to telephone the police because he was concerned about the incident,’ said the barrister.

‘And because of the shouting, about the same time, Ms Abbot came out of her office and onto the landing.

‘It is alleged the defendant punched Tahir Khan to the side of the face and grabbed the telephone and ran off.

‘

Ms Abbott had told the jury: ‘They were all shouting at once but that is not unusual because when people are waiting outside they are all quite stressed.

‘I thought it was a normal argument about who was to go in next.

She said: ‘I walked towards them to try and resolve the matter, because normally I find if I go outside, people calm down.

‘

She said Campbell leant towards Mr Khan and snatch the mobile, saying ‘I will have that.

‘

She said at first there appeared to be a ‘verbal stand-off’ between the sides.

She said the teenager appeared to take the phone ‘on impulse.

‘

Ms Abbott said she neither saw or heard a punch, or ‘see the aftermath of a punch.

‘

Campbell claimed he went to remonstrate with the older man, accusing him of giving his brother ‘a clip round the ear.

‘

He followed the two men inside demanding an apology.

He denies punching the younger man but he accepted taking the phone.

The defendant maintained he did not intend to steal it although he told the two men: ‘I will take that until I get an apology.

‘

But the McDonalds employee was ordered to pay Mr Abdul Khan pnds stlng 100 compensation.

Judge Christopher Hardy told him an assault on an elderly man was ‘entirely unacceptable’ even if there was an earlier assault on his younger brother – or he believed such an incident took place.

‘That is no justification at all for taking the law into your own hands,’ said the judge.

‘I am going to punish you by hitting you in your pocket.

‘
ends