A man has been jailed for injuring a friend by hitting him over the head with a vodka bottle in a flat in Dewsbury.

Jabbar Bashir was with Naveed Hussain and another man on April 27 last year when they met two girls and returned to the home of one of them in St John’s Walk.

Peter Byrne, prosecuting, told Leeds Crown Court yesterday (Monday) the group were drinking vodka and listening to music in the living room. There came a stage in the early hours of the morning when everyone except Bashir went into the kitchen.

Mr Hussain did not remember much after that other than receiving a blow to his head in the kitchen and falling to the floor.

Both women said they saw Bashir enter the kitchen, run towards Mr Hussain and smash a vodka bottle to the back of his head. Both described him being hit again after he had fallen to the floor.

The police were called but Bashir had left by the time they arrived. Mr Hussain needed five stitches in hospital for a five centimetre laceration to the back of his head.

Leeds Crown Court
Leeds Crown Court

Anastasis Tassou, representing Bashir, said he had been friends with Mr Hussain for some time, usually involving them drinking together.

At that time Bashir’s father was gravely ill and only a short time later passed away. He had been under some stress as a result and the incident that night was sparked by a comment Mr Hussain made about his father and his illness.

Mr Tassou said: “It may have been said in jest, it probably was said in jest and due no doubt to the amount of alcohol he had consumed he became enraged and hit him over the head with the bottle. He saw red.”

Mr Tassou said fortunately the bottle did not break and did not cause any bone injury. He had not only lost his friendship but was now facing a jail sentence having only recently been married.

Bashir, 24 of Parker Road, Thornhill Lees, Dewsbury, admitted unlawful wounding and was jailed for two years.

Judge Christopher Batty told him: “This was a very, very unpleasant assault on someone who was your friend. I have no doubt but for drink he would not have said what he said to you and you certainly wouldn’t have reacted in the way you did, but taking a bottle to his head could have very seriously injured him.”