A judge has adjourned the sentencing of a barber who butchered a work colleague, stabbing him with scissors in a fight over how much to charge a customer.
Recorder Alexander dos Santos put back the sentencing so that a report could be prepared about the young defendant, 19-year-old Adam Pirot, of Roedale Road, in Hollingdean.
Pirot stabbed his workmate Yad Fatah, 24, 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 to 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 Sentencing Council guidelines give a minimum starting point of three years in jail for the offence – an assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent.
Chetna Patel, prosecuting, told Brighton Crown Court yesterday (Monday 23 July) that this was an offence with a high degree of culpability – category A under the guidelines.
Miss Patel also said that the level of harm seemed high, putting it in category 1. The judge said that it seemed more like a category 2 offence. Miss Patel said: “The top end of category 2.”
Under the Sentencing Council guidelines, the starting point for an A2 offence of GBH with intent would be seven years. The usual range would be six to ten years, depending on the aggravating and mitigating features.
The starting point for an A1 offence would be 12 years in prison, with a range of 10 to 16 years.
The judge adjourned the case until Friday 23 August and told Pirot that he would remain in custody in the meantime.
