A teenage member of a notorious street gang was se

A teenage member of a notorious street gang was sentenced to four years today (Friday) for his part in a ‘savage’ armed attack on two students.

The youth, who was 16 at the time was also punished for a botched mugging when he wielded a bicycle chain in a bid to deprive a petrified businessman of his mobile telephone.

Judge Christopher Hardy told Southwark Crown Court such offences were all too common in the Wapping and Stepney areas of east London.

He added: ‘And sadly they are often committed by Bengali youths like yourself.

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Hunted down by baying youths from the ‘Shadwell Massive’ gang, the two victims were lucky to escape with their lives when they were attacked by a up to 40 lads.

The terrified 17-year-old friends were struck with baseball bats, machetes, knives, and lumps of concrete, a piece of wood, and curved knives known as a ‘Dah.

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As Omar Tariq and Sheikh Rashid rolled on the ground and tried to cover their heads to protect themselves from a succession of blows, their ears filled with chants of ‘Kill him, Kill him.

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One was also doused in petrol by the gang during the prolonged assault.

Both were rushed to the Royal London Hospital after the attack to receive treatment for a catalogue of injuries.

Detectives investigating the incident could find no motive for the onslaught.

‘It appears the victims were in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ said one officer.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted last month of causing grievous bodily harm with intent, wounding with intent and violent disorder on November 27, last year.

Sentencing, the judge said: ‘Sadly this court is all too familiar with cases of disorder and violence committed by gangs of young men in the Wapping and Stepney area, and sadly, they often involve Bengali youths like yourself.

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The judge said it was a ‘serious incident’ involving a mob of between 30 and 40 people.

Earlier this year, four other members of the gang were jailed for their leading roles in the violence.

Afzal Ali, 20, of Headland Street, Stepney, and unrelated Ashik Ali, 18, of Shadwell Gardens, were both jailed for five years.

A 17-year-old and a 16-year-old – the pair cannot be identified for legal reasons – were ordered to serve two years in a young offenders institution.

The four were also convicted of wounding Tariq and Rashid with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on November 27, last year.

The jury were discharged from returning verdicts on the further offence of violent disorder.

Judge Hardy said both victims had been seriously injured about the head and body and had neither recovered physically or mentally.

‘You were seen to join in this disgraceful conduct,’ he told the defendant.

He had been convicted of demanding a ‘Dah’ from the older gang leaders and striking one of the students with the deadly weapon.

The judge said a legal problem meant the 17-year-old dropped out of the original trial – yet a week after the jury were discharged from returning verdicts on him, he admitted he was involved with two others in an assault with intent to rob.

On June 19 this year, a City businessman was attacked by the trio near Shadwell demanding his mobile.

The 17-year-old first punched the 35-year-old and then attacked him with a bicycle chain, the victim forced to flee across a busy street to escape.

Judge Hardy said the gravity of the behaviour demanded a deterrent sentence, ordering the teenager to serve three years in a detention centre for the gang attack and a concurrent 12 month sentence for the failed robbery.

He said the teenager was ‘out of control.

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‘You need to be punished for these offences and you need to be deterred from committing these offences in the future.

‘And other people need to be deterred from committing these offences in this area of London.

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Describing the gang attack, Mr Justin Rowse, prosecuting, told the court: ‘On Monday November 27 last year two Bengali young men were walking through an area known as Wapping Woods when they were attacked by a group of 30 to 40 Asian youths.

‘The prosecution say this was the Shadwell Massive, a gang.

And the gang attacked the two youths on their own and beat them savagely.

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He said the victims heard footsteps behind them and the gang shout ‘That’s them’ before giving chase.

They were armed with baseball bats, machetes, knives, bottles, sticks and bricks.

Both teenagers attempted to flee the advancing and gesturing gang.

Tariq was felled from behind by Afzal Ali, who allegedly struck him over the back of the head with a metal baseball bat.

As he rolled on the ground, it was claimed the defendant used the bat to smash him in the mouth – knocking out two teeth, and breaking two others – Ashik Ali joining in.

He was also repeatedly struck over his back with machetes, a thick leather jacket preventing serious cuts.

But he suffered a gashed forehead – later needing 30 stitches – after receiving another blow from the fearsome weapon.

Tariq was also hit with lumps of broken concrete and could hear the 16-year-old screaming for a machete before also striking him.

At the sametime his friend was also being beaten with sticks and baseball bats as he was beaten to the ground.

Tariq was later found to have a fractured wrist, jaw and finger, two large cuts to the head, two stab wounds, and multiple cuts and bruises.

Rashid also needed stitches for deep cuts and was discovered to have a stab wound to his back and a fractured finger, as well as multiple bruises over his body.

Arrested in December, the five denied being part of the gang attack.

Two adults and one of the 17-year-olds claimed they were at the New Generation Youth Club, said Mr Rowse.

‘Something of a focal point for the Shadwell Massive’.

The 16-year-old insisted he was at the mosque at the time.

However, they claimed they had earlier fallen out with the two victims who bore a grudge and were prepared to ‘make up a story’ to implicate them in the violence.

Mr Rowse said alibis were provided by relatives or friends ‘deliberately covering’ for the defendants.

‘The victims know these defendants and recognise them as being there.
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