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Taxi driver's face slashed in savage beating, Burnley court told
A TAXI driver who was given a bogus fare ended up being given a “savage” beating, including having his face slashed from mouth to ear, by four men, a court heard.
Cabbie Ghulam Abbas was sprayed in the eyes with a noxious substance by his passenger and then set upon by three men in Nelson, Burnley Crown Court was told.
Prosecutor Roger Booth said that at one point Mr Abbas was held by the men while they sliced his face from the corner of his mouth to his ear.
And the gang, all wearing masks, tried to do the same to the other side of his face before he manage to struggle free.
Police later arrested a man called Zahid Shabbir, who it was believed had given Mr Abbas the fare at A1 Taxis, in Lonsdale Road, Nelson.
Later Shabbir, who was detained close to the attack scence, had his clothes sent away for forensic examination, said Mr Booth.
Interviewed initially he said he had been with another man, Zahid Suleman, and had purchased some items from a nearby garage.
Mr Booth said that when CCTV footage from the garage was checked by a detective, there was no sign of anyone matching the man’s description.
And when forensic tests were returned by the police lab, blood from Mr Abbas was found on Shabbir’s top and two spots were discovered on his trainers.
Quizzed again by police, Shabbir said there was a “lot of blood” in the area where Mr Abbas was attacked.
But Mr Booth said that this did not explain why he had blood splattered on his top, unless he was involved in the attack.
Mr Booth said: “It was a savage attack, members of the jury. Mr Abbas thought he recognised some of the men but his sight was badly affected by the spray in any event.”
It was the prosecution case that Shabbir had given Mr Abbas the bogus fare before travelling to the place where the other three attacked him, he added.Shabbir, of Leeds Road, Nelson, denies wounding Mr Abbas with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm. The trial continues.
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