EAST OXFORD: Feuding gangs led to 'mayhem' (From Oxford Mail)

EAST OXFORD: Feuding gangs led to 'mayhem'

6:40am Saturday 5th September 2009 in News By Andrew Ffrench

FOUR men were jailed yesterday for a total of four-and-a-half years following a feud between two rival groups a judge said had brought mayhem to East Oxford.

The men – Haroon Mohammed, 20, Imran Khan, 18, Mohammed Bilal, 17, and Mohammed Umar, 18 – were all convicted of violent disorder following a mass fight at the junction of James Street and Cowley Road in April last year.

Bilal and Umar were also convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court in July of kidnapping Mandeep Singh, 19, who was made to strip and was beaten on March 17 last year.

Yesterday, Judge Anthony King condemned the four for their part in a dispute between groups of Pakistanis and Indians living in Oxford.

He told them: “This matter arose out of a dispute with another group of young men living in East Oxford who happen to be from a separate ethnic group.

“For that reason, there appears to be animosity between the two groups and you have chosen to deal with it by violent altercations, instead of making peace.

“I am prepared to accept that it was not just you that brought weapons to the scene – nevertheless you met and it was not by chance.

“Weapons including sticks and mallets were used. Individuals were subjected to fists and kicks, and injury and blood was caused – it was mayhem. It was a thoroughly disreputable incident from which none of you can take any credit.”

The judge acknowledged that the men were previously of good character and urged them to “stand back from this dispute.”

Ed Walters, for Mohammed, said: “He has been offered a job at Unipart in Oxford and is unlikely in my submission ever to offend again.”

David Hislop, for Bilal, said the offences occurred when his client was “barely a teenager”.

Referring to the violent disorder, he added: “It was spontaneous and not pre-planned on his part and there was no suggestion he took weapons to the scene.”

Alex Bilansi, for Khan, said: “He represents a low risk of reoffending and a low risk of harm to the public.”

Peter Stage, for Umar, said kidnap victim Mandeep Singh only suffered minor injuries and was detained for a”very limited period of time”.

Mohammed, of Golden Road, East Oxford, was jailed for 18 months, while Khan, of Shelley Road, East Oxford, was jailed for 15 months.

Bilal, of Cumberland Road, East Oxford, was given six months’ detention for violent disorder and ordered to serve a four-month consecutive sentence for kidnap, while Umar, of Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe, was jailed for 15 months for violent disorder and a consecutive six-month sentence for kidnap.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk