Telford man threw socket set at taxis in drunken rage

Zulkernain Shah pushed a woman to the ground after she attempted to intervene in a stand-off between him and a group of young men, Telford Magistrates Court was told.

Mr John Cattell, prosecuting, told magistrates that Shah had recently left the Central Square nightclub in Newport on March 14 and was spotted by several witnesses shouting at people in the street.

The 29-year-old defendant then proceeded to go to the boot of a friend's car and pull out a socket set container and throw it several times at two taxis.

As Shah began threatening a group of men, a female bystander came forward to try and reason with him, but was pushed to the ground by the defendant and received a split lip as a result, said Mr Cattell.

Shah, of Penistone Close, Donnington, pleaded guilty to charges of assault by beating, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and affray on the day he was due to face trial.

He was given a 12-month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation activities and an alcohol treatment requirement, plus 80 hours of unpaid work.

Shah was also ordered to pay £300 prosecution costs, a £60 victim surcharge and £100 compensation.

Mr Andrew Chowdhury, for Shah, said the defendant had seen his friend thrown out of the nightclub that evening.

When he had remonstrated with security staff, believing it to be a case of mistaken identity, he had found himself ejected as well.

While outside, Shah had been threatened by five men and an argument had followed, said Mr Chowdhury.

He said that Shah had accidentally assaulted the woman while recklessly waving his arms around in an "agitated state" during the stand-off.

Mr Chowdhury said the defendant had been "extremely drunk" when he fetched the socket set from a friend's car but added that "nobody was injured" when he threw it at taxis in the street.

Magistrate Paul Bodley said the alcohol treatment requirement part of his sentence would be the defendant's "best friend".