Machete attack on family peacemaker

AN “honour” feud between Asian families led to a brutal and horrifying mob attack.

Chand Miah believed he was going to meet others as a peacemaker, but arrived at Werneth Park to be confronted by around 15 men armed with machetes, pool cues and other weapons.

Manchester Crown Court was told he ran and tripped — and was beaten, kicked, punched and slashed repeatedly, even after losing consciousness.

Mr Miah was rushed to hospital and had emergency surgery to repair a shattered jaw and other injuries to his head and face, as well as a deep wound to his thigh. He was in hospital for three weeks.

Two men central to the incident: Nasar Anwar (21), and his uncle Nayyar Khan (30), faced court. Khan, of Kenyon Lane, Moston, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was given an 18-month suspended prison sentence, plus 200 hours of community work.

Sentence on 23-year old Anwar, who pleaded guilty to the same offence, was suspended for six weeks for the judge to consider the most appropriate course of action.

Both men had faced trial on more serious charges, but the court was told credibility of the witnesses involved had been undermined. Both had been in custody since being arrested on April 9.

The case revolved around a volatile relationship between Anwar and his girlfriend.

Victim Mr Miah, the girl’s uncle, had allegedly attacked Anwar because he was unhappy at the way she had been treated. The park incident was believed to be retribution.

Judge Bernard Lever said there had been an undercurrent of violence in the relationship between Anwar and his girlfriend, who lived together in Park Road, Oldham.

He said: “In your community it is not seen as usual for men and women to live together, and maybe all sorts of family problems were thrown up by this.

“But this was a disgraceful and ugly incident. You knew that weapons were going to be used.”

He told Anwar: “If you yourself had been assaulted, you should have made a complaint to the police, not got members of your family to sort it out.”

The judge said he accepted that though both men had been at the scene, neither had taken part in the violence.