Knife-blade tip left embedded in man's skull during street horror attack
Victim required surgery to have metal shard removed
A thug has been convicted for his part in a vicious targeted street attack in which a knife blade snapped off and was left embedded into the victim’s skull.
Leeds Crown Court was told that it had taken more than four years to charge Kasim Hussain for the horror assault near Wakefield city centre.
The victim was beaten with weapons and and tip of a knife blade was snapped and left lodged in his skull.
Hussain, 33, who has no previous convictions, later admitted GBH with intent.
The court heard that the victim had been made aware that there were threats being made against him in a group chat among people whom he knew.
He went to confront Hussain at his family home where a fight briefly broke out.
The victim later received multiple calls with further threats made against him.
Then at 10pm on January 18, 2021, the victim had been along Garden Street off Westgate, near to CG Autos, when he was confronted by four males, including Hussain.
They were dressed in dark clothing and one was holding a hammer. The victim was hit several times with weapons, before falling to the ground where he was kicked and stabbed.
When the gang were startled by a car and fled, the victim was able to stumble to his feet and call for help.
The victim was taken to hospital where CT scan revealed a fractured skull and the chunk of blade found embedded in his skull. He required surgery to remove it.
But Hussain had dropped his mobile phone and wallet during the attack which contained his name and address.
He was later arrested, but refused to provide a PIN for his phone.
Police were later able to get into the phone and found a chat in which he and others discussed “banging” the victim, meaning to beat him up, and take his drugs.
They also discussed which weapons to use and wearing latex gloves to avoid detection.
In a summarised impact statement, read to the court by prosecutor Ashleigh Metcalfe, the victim said he still suffered panic attacks and flashbacks and was left with a permanent scar to his head.
Mitigating, Julian Jones said Hussain, of Grange Road, Batley, had spared the victim having to give evidence by offering a guilty plea six weeks before his trial.
He also pointed to his lack of previous convictions, that he had been involved in charity work, and that a letter he penned had displayed remorse for his part of the attack.
Judge Neil Clark jailed Hussain for six years.