TWO IPSWICH men who took part in a racially motivated attack on a local shopkeeper were involved in a vicious assault nine years ago which resulted in their victim having a third of his brain removed, a court has heard.

Jane Hunt

TWO IPSWICH men who took part in a racially motivated attack on a local shopkeeper were involved in a vicious assault nine years ago which resulted in their victim having a third of his brain removed, a court has heard.

John Warth and William Coulthard have been warned they are likely to receive immediate jail sentences when they are sentenced on March 30 for knocking Ali Keder Ahmed unconscious in a late night attack in Ipswich's Willoughby Road in October.

Coulthard, 27, of Woolard Close, Ipswich, had admitted racially aggravated assault causing actual bodily harm on Mr Ahmed but Warth, 26, of Pauline Street, Ipswich, had denied the charge and was found guilty by a jury after a short trial at Ipswich Crown Court.

After his conviction the court heard that in 2000 Coulthard and Warth had appeared before another crown court for an offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

On that occasion they had attacked their victim with paving slabs and his injuries were so severe that he had a third of his brain removed.

During Warth's trial this week the court heard that Mr Ahmed was walking along Willoughby Road towards Belstead Road shortly after midnight on May 25 with two customers when he was allegedly subjected to racial abuse by Coulthard.

Mr Ahmed tried to ignore him but he had become more aggressive and the two customers who were walking with him had run off. Coulthard and Warth had then punched Mr Ahmed to the ground and knocked him unconscious.

Witnesses then saw Warth and Coulthard pick up a “For Sale” sign and a barbeque grill pan and use them as weapons to assault Mr Ahmed.

Mr Ahmed was not seriously injured and escaped with cuts to his head and grazes on his body.

Warth chose not to give evidence during his trial but after his arrest claimed that his friend had been knocked to the ground in Willoughby Road and he had tried to help him by dragging the men who attacked him away.

He said the men had then come after him and when one of them picked up a “For Sale” board he had tried to wrestle it away from him.