ID :
85941
Sat, 10/24/2009 - 19:08
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/85941
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Australian attacker who beat Indian student to coma jailed
Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Oct 23 (PTI) Coming down heavily on racist
attacks, an Australian court here has sentenced an attacker of
an Indian student, who went into a coma after being brutally
beaten up, to over four years in jail with the Judge observing
that such incidents rightly provoked international and local
community outrage.
Judge Pamela Jenkins sentenced 21-year-old Zakarie
Hussein to four-and-a-half years' jail with a minimum
non-parole period of two years, saying that such racist
attacks need to be condemned.
28-year-old Indian student Sukhraj Singh was attacked by
Zakarie and a gang that rampaged an Indian grocery store last
year and left him in coma for 15 days. The incident which was
beamed worldwide created an outrage in India.
This was the first sentencing in a case involving attack
on Indian students. Australia has recently been hit by a spate
of attacks especially on Indians with more than 30 community
members being targetted in last three months.
The city based county court heard that the incident that
left the Indian student in coma with permanent brain
disabilities was just a "sheer thrill" for the attackers, The
Age newspaper reported on Friday.
Prosecutors told the court that last December, the gang
of seven youths, who were drunk and carrying wooden sticks,
raided an Indian grocery store in Sunshine and shouted "are
you Indian?" and randomly struck their victims.
Singh was beaten unconscious and spent months in hospital
and rehabilitation after being struck three times on the head
and receiving blows on the body, the report said.
Judge Jenkins said the group had deliberately targeted
victims of Indian ethnicity in the "unprovoked rampage".
The accused Hussein of Somali origin had pleaded guilty
to armed robbery, recklessly causing serious injury, and six
counts of recklessly causing injury.
Judge Jenkins said Hussein had not used his wooden weapon
but had planned before being knocked out of the way by a
co-offender. She said the victims had tried to cower from
their attackers and had done nothing to provoke the attack.
The youths had been drinking beer in a park for about
four hours before they went to the store in City Place just
after 6.30 pm where two of the teens began a racist argument
with two customers, the court heard.
About five minutes later, the pair returned with their
friends, armed with wooden bars and one with a fluorescent
light tube, and began smashing up the store and
indiscriminately striking customers and staff as they yelled
"are you Indian?" and "bloody Indians, f--- off".
The shop's cash register was stolen and the loot divided
up among the offenders. Hussein received about AUS$15.
In a victim impact statement tendered to the court, Singh
said metal plates had been inserted into his face. He shed up
to 15 kilograms and been left with lumps and scars on his head
from the assault. PTI NC
JVN
Melbourne, Oct 23 (PTI) Coming down heavily on racist
attacks, an Australian court here has sentenced an attacker of
an Indian student, who went into a coma after being brutally
beaten up, to over four years in jail with the Judge observing
that such incidents rightly provoked international and local
community outrage.
Judge Pamela Jenkins sentenced 21-year-old Zakarie
Hussein to four-and-a-half years' jail with a minimum
non-parole period of two years, saying that such racist
attacks need to be condemned.
28-year-old Indian student Sukhraj Singh was attacked by
Zakarie and a gang that rampaged an Indian grocery store last
year and left him in coma for 15 days. The incident which was
beamed worldwide created an outrage in India.
This was the first sentencing in a case involving attack
on Indian students. Australia has recently been hit by a spate
of attacks especially on Indians with more than 30 community
members being targetted in last three months.
The city based county court heard that the incident that
left the Indian student in coma with permanent brain
disabilities was just a "sheer thrill" for the attackers, The
Age newspaper reported on Friday.
Prosecutors told the court that last December, the gang
of seven youths, who were drunk and carrying wooden sticks,
raided an Indian grocery store in Sunshine and shouted "are
you Indian?" and randomly struck their victims.
Singh was beaten unconscious and spent months in hospital
and rehabilitation after being struck three times on the head
and receiving blows on the body, the report said.
Judge Jenkins said the group had deliberately targeted
victims of Indian ethnicity in the "unprovoked rampage".
The accused Hussein of Somali origin had pleaded guilty
to armed robbery, recklessly causing serious injury, and six
counts of recklessly causing injury.
Judge Jenkins said Hussein had not used his wooden weapon
but had planned before being knocked out of the way by a
co-offender. She said the victims had tried to cower from
their attackers and had done nothing to provoke the attack.
The youths had been drinking beer in a park for about
four hours before they went to the store in City Place just
after 6.30 pm where two of the teens began a racist argument
with two customers, the court heard.
About five minutes later, the pair returned with their
friends, armed with wooden bars and one with a fluorescent
light tube, and began smashing up the store and
indiscriminately striking customers and staff as they yelled
"are you Indian?" and "bloody Indians, f--- off".
The shop's cash register was stolen and the loot divided
up among the offenders. Hussein received about AUS$15.
In a victim impact statement tendered to the court, Singh
said metal plates had been inserted into his face. He shed up
to 15 kilograms and been left with lumps and scars on his head
from the assault. PTI NC
JVN
