Two men have been jailed after a racist attack in Bradford in which they assaulted a shop worker and then turned on an older Sikh passer-by, leaving him unconscious in the street.
Bradford Crown Court heard Darnell Bennett, 25, and Dylan Fowler, 31, had been drinking when they went into an off licence on Sunbridge Road at about 10pm on June 17 last year.
Prosecutor Stephen Littlewood said the pair, who were with another man, tried to take alcohol from the shop. When a shop assistant attempted to stop them, Fowler punched him.
The court heard the shop worker picked up a metal bar to defend himself, but Fowler threw him into shelving and punched him at least nine times. As the man got up from the floor, Bennett punched him in the back of the head.
Both men then continued kicking and punching him, leaving him with a broken nose and cuts.
After members of the public entered the shop and intervened, Bennett and Fowler left with their companion.
Outside, the violence continued.
The court heard Bennett ran along the street and punched an older Sikh man in the face. Bennett and Fowler then punched and kicked him and stamped on his face, leaving him lying unconscious in the street.
During the assaults, both men shouted racist abuse, including: “You’re Pakistani and we’re English. We can do what we want.” Fowler also shouted: “Go back to Pakistan.”
Recorder Anthony Hawks described the attack as “frenzied”.
He told the pair: “You went into an off licence. I’m quite sure that your purpose was to steal alcohol. The shopkeeper challenged you. He was then assaulted by both of you. That was bad enough. Unfortunately for the pair of you it didn’t stop there.”
Addressing Bennett directly, the judge said: “You attacked a completely innocent bystander … and carried out a frenzied attack on him.”
The judge said Bennett posed a significant risk of serious harm to the public and declared him a dangerous offender.
Bennett, of Little Horton Lane, Bradford, was jailed for five years with a further two-year extended licence period.
Fowler, of no fixed abode in Leeds, was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
The court heard Bennett had 11 previous convictions for six offences, including robbery, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and possession of weapons including knives. Fowler had 48 previous convictions for 104 offences.
In mitigation, Bennett barrister Samreen Akhtar said he was deeply remorseful and had sent a letter of apology to the court. She said he had suffered traumatic events in his life and used drugs as a coping mechanism. Fowler, who represented himself, told the court he regretted what had happened.
The judge imposed a lifelong restraining order on both men and ordered them to pay the victim surcharge.