Barber faces jail for stabbing colleague

A barber is facing a prison sentence for stabbing a colleague after they argued over how much to charge a customer.

Adam Pirot, 19, of Roedale Road, in Hollingdean, stabbed 24-year-old Yad Fatah with scissors at the rear of Faded, the barber shop where they both worked in Preston Street, Brighton.

They took the argument out to the back of the shop and ended up fighting in Stone Street, from where a witness reported hearing an argument in Kurdish.

The witness told police: “Yad appeared from the door. It looked as though he had been in a fight. He had scratches to his face and his t-shirt was torn.

“I went to my car to get wipes. Yad and another man were pushing and shoving each other.

“When I turned round a few seconds later, both Yad and the man were on the floor. I could see blood on his chest and a very large cut on his right arm.”

The whole incident happened very quickly, the witness said, and 25 minutes later an ambulance arrived to deal with Mr Fatah’s serious injuries and take him to hospital.

Pirot repeatedly stabbed and slashed Mr Fatah, causing a nasty cut to his right arm and his chest, near the heart, causing him to suffer a collapsed lung.

The stabbing happened on Tuesday 29 November 2022 and, after Pirot fled the scene, Sussex Police said that officers searched addresses linked to the suspect.

The force said: “Evidence was located connecting Pirot to the crime and he was arrested on Thursday 8 December 2022 on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.

“He was bailed with strict conditions pending further inquiries and forensic testing.

“Pirot was charged on Tuesday 6 June 2023 with grievous bodily harm with intent and bailed ahead of his next hearing.”

In July last year, Brighton magistrates imposed a series of bail conditions “to prevent interference with witnesses or otherwise obstruct the course of justice”.

They included not contacting Mr Fatah or anyone at Faded barber shop – and Pirot was banned from Preston Street, Stone Street and Selsfield Drive, in Brighton.

He denied wounding with intent and went on trial at Brighton Crown Court where he was convicted last month.

The trial judge, Recorder Alexander dos Santos, is due to sentence Pirot next Monday (22 July). The minimum starting point is a three-year jail sentence.

On the day when the jury returned its guilty verdict, the victim, Yad Fatah, was fined for driving a blue Volkswagen Golf in Poplar Avenue, Hove, without insurance in May last year.

Brighton magistrates imposed a six-point penalty on his licence, fined him £351 and ordered him to pay a victim surcharge of £140 and prosecution costs of £85.