A Bradford man who tied up his neighbour, repeatedly assaulted him with a baseball bat and asked whether he wanted to die has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.
Hamza Hussain, 27, subjected the man to a frightening series of attacks near and inside Crofton Court on Crofton Road in Heaton, an independent living facility for vulnerable people where both men lived.
Bradford Crown Court heard Hussain initially chased the victim in the street before punching and kicking him.
Later the same day, Hussain confronted the man and asked whether he had contacted police. The victim told him that he had not.
Shortly before midnight, at around 11.55pm, the man went to Hussain’s flat.
Hussain then used a large baseball bat to strike him on the legs before tying him up and asking: “Do you want to die tonight?”
The court heard Hussain made a video call while the victim was being held inside the property.
Hussain eventually untied the man’s feet and instructed him to walk slowly out of the flat, but assaulted him again.
Despite still having his hands tied, the victim managed to escape and run back to his own flat. A neighbour then contacted police.
The attack had a lasting psychological impact on the victim. He said afterwards that he had become paranoid when leaving his home and suffered nightmares in which he was attacked with baseball bats.
Hussain Had Been Tasered Six Weeks Earlier
The court was also told about an incident involving Hussain approximately six weeks before the attack.
Prosecutor Nicola Hoskins said police had encountered Hussain waving a knife while telling officers: “Shoot me, I want to die.”
When he refused instructions to put down the knife, officers used a Taser against him.
Hussain subsequently told police that he had schizophrenia.
The court heard he has experienced serious mental health difficulties over a number of years and has spent periods in institutions intended to support him and stabilise his condition.
Previous Convictions
Hussain had eight previous convictions covering 13 offences dating back to 2014.
His record included armed robbery, making threats with an offensive weapon in public and battery.
In mitigation, barrister Rodney Ferm highlighted a nine-year break in Hussain’s offending and told the court his life had been significantly affected by serious mental ill health.
Mr Ferm said Hussain was deeply remorseful about what he had done to his neighbour.
“He feels nothing other than shame and remorse and feels appalled that he could have acted in that way,” he told the court.
“But act in that way he did, and he knows he must take the consequences for it.”
Her Honour Judge Kirstie Watson sentenced Hussain, who appeared by video link from HMP Leeds, to 54 months’ imprisonment.
Addressing him, Judge Watson acknowledged his history of schizophrenia and the impact his condition had had on his life.
She said Hussain had been “in and out of institutions” intended to support him and stabilise his mental health, and had suffered isolation and loneliness which would have affected how he dealt with situations.
Hussain was also made subject to a 10-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his victim.