Portsmouth shielding couple's home attacked by 'bizarre' drunk who spat through shattered door pane

The ‘bizarre’ incident happened in November last year when Ahmadshafe Ahmadzay was spotted swilling a bottle of Fairy Liquid and washer fluid.

Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court heard the concoction was outside Brian Mayhead’s home in Battenburg Avenue, North End, when Ahmadzay started drinking it.

Mr Mayhead, who was waiting for a parcel, heard a loud bang and opened his door to see the 27-year-old swilling and spitting the mixture.

He then started ‘screaming and shouting,’ prosecutor Lucy Paddick said, and added: ‘You got a problem with me mate?’

The terrified man, whose wife was also at home, said no and added: ‘Just leave and go away.’

Just as Mr Mayhead returned to shut his door, Ahmadzay seized hold of it ‘rattling’ it as the victim tried to close it.

A struggle ensued and Ahmadzay shattered a glass pane in the door before spitting through it and narrowly missing the victim.

‘I was terrified of what he was going to do,’ the victim later told police.

In a victim statement he added: ‘This incident has left me shocked and terrified - being attacked in my own home is something I never thought would happen.’

He revealed he is suffering with panic attacks, already has poor mental health, and added: ‘This incident has broken me.’

But the defendant’s antics did not stop there. He also opened delivery driver Alam Gebremichael’s vehicle door and said ‘what are you looking at?’ - before grabbing him by the throat.

Mr Gebremichael said he got out of the vehicle but the defendant clearly ‘wanted to fight me’ - so he returned not wanting to get involved and lose his job.

Then Ahmadzay approached a third man, Peter Hill who had just parked in the street, and said: ‘Why are you parking there?’

Covered in blood he then grabbed Mr Hill and ‘came very close to my face,’ Mr Hill said.

In a victim statement he said he was ‘deeply concerned’ about the defendant being close to him due to the pandemic.

The incident ‘not only put me in danger but also my family,’ he said.

After the assault on Mr Hill, the defendant let go and a police officer arrived - only to be met with the defendant swearing at him when he said: ‘White.... you're only nicking me because I'm not white, sticking up for your own, white...’

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Tim Sparkes, for the defendant, revealed he had been trafficked from Afghanistan where he was at risk but was physically and emotionally abused during the nine-month journey to the UK in 2007.

Sentencing, district judge Anthony Callaway said: ‘We hear very often that people come from Afghanistan or other war-torn areas to this country in order to seek solace yet when when they come here they become criminals and this country - I can tell you straight - as the Court of Appeal said, and Lord Justice Lawton, many years ago, has got no place for criminals.

‘The people who are here, you attacked, are entitled to live their lives in the way that they wish without being sought out by some drunken individual like you and attacked in that way.

‘Along comes the policeman, who was doing nothing apart from doing his job, and you play the race card.

‘I think it’s an utter disgrace and I think you deserve to go to prison.

‘Sorry you may be, these people are terrified, they’re assaulted and abused by some guy like you with rather unattractive form for sexual assault.’

But judge Callaway spared him jail after giving him credit for guilty pleas, showing remorse, never before being convicted of the same offences or being sent to prison.

Ahmadzay, of Clive Road, Fratton, admitted three charges of battery, using violence to secure entry into a premises and racially-aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

He must complete 10 days’ rehabilitation activities and pay £400 compensation between the victims.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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