A 20-year-old Afghan man has been sentenced to three years in prison after carrying out a violent attack on a family at a migrant camp in the UK following a disagreement over a football. The incident happened at Chickerell Camp near Weymouth in Dorset and involved a family of five, including three teenage brothers and their parents.
The court heard that the attack began after a football was kicked during a game at the camp. An argument followed, and a 15-year-old boy said the ball had been kicked by Nasratullah Wahidi. This accusation angered Wahidi, who then approached the teenager and attempted to punch him.
Prosecutors said Wahidi grabbed the boy by the neck and squeezed so hard that the teenager could not breathe and believed he was close to death. When the boy’s older brother tried to intervene, Wahidi threatened to kill the younger boy and punched the older brother in the face. He continued hitting him repeatedly even after he fell to the ground.
The violence continued when Wahidi struck the boys’ 13-year-old brother on the back of the head. He then turned on their mother, who was five months pregnant, attempting to punch her before grabbing her neck. She told the court that she could not breathe for several seconds and suffered bruises and scratches while trying to defend herself.
Wahidi also attacked the children’s father, punching him several times in the head before finally leaving the scene. The court described the assault as savage and frightening, especially as it took place in front of other residents at the camp.
Wahidi, who arrived legally in the UK with his family in 2020, pleaded guilty to several offences, including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, intentional strangulation, and common assault. His defence lawyer told the court that Wahidi had mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, epileptic seizures, and possible schizophrenia, and claimed he had been bullied before the incident.
However, the judge rejected any justification for the violence. In sentencing Wahidi to three years in prison, with eight months already served, the judge said his actions were disgraceful and completely unacceptable, stressing that losing his temper led to serious harm to innocent victims.