Seven men are waiting to hear whether they will be convicted of violent disorder after people linked to two barber shops brawled in a Portslade street earlier this year.
All seven say that they were acting in self-defence or as peacemakers and their rivals were responsible for the fight in which a sharp blade, metal items and planks of wood were used as weapons.
One of the defendants suffered horrific injuries as he was stabbed with a razor or scissors in Franklin Road, Portslade, in the fracas.
A jury at Brighton Crown Court saw footage filmed on security cameras and mobile phones as the two sides confronted each other one lunchtime in a busy shopping street.
Richard Hearnden, prosecuting, warned the five men and seven women of the jury: “This isn’t a film set with fake blood and stunt doubles but real people really being stabbed and bludgeoned.
“While this was violence on our streets, no one was killed and those hurt made a full recovery or are on their way to recovery.”
Mr Hearnden told the jury: “This case concerns an episode of serious disorder that happened in Portslade in April. The seven defendants in this case were responsible for the disorder.
“One of them, one of the defendants, was so badly injured that one of his co-defendants, unusually, has been charged with wounding him.
“The fact that he, the seventh defendant Sarbast Ibrahimi, was badly injured and is treated as a victim of crime does not absolve him from taking part in the violent disorder.
“The scene of this violent disorder is the street adjacent to two men’s barbers’ shops both of which are situated on opposite sides of the same road.”
The brawl started outside HB Barbers in Station Road, Portslade, on the corner of Franklin Road. It involved men linked with K Barbers, diagonally opposite, in Boundary Road, Hove.
Mr Hearndedn said: “What is it that started this violent incident? Whatever the defendants might claim, it is overwhelmingly likely that there is bad blood between the owners of the respective barber shops.
“That enmity, if that is what it is, boiled over in the early afternoon of Tuesday 2 April when, at about 2.15pm, 999 calls started coming in to the police.
“Multiple members of the public said that there was a fight involving a large group of men who seemed to them to be associated with two different barber shops.
“The violent acts were seen to be taking place in Franklin Road.
“The first four defendants are from HB Barbers. The remaining three are from K Barbers. HB Barbers bears the initials of the first defendant, Hogr Banaee.
“It is a new business and had been open a short period of time before the violent episode in April. Hogr Banaee is one of two directors and is, in effect, the owner of the business.
“K Barbers had been owned by the fifth defendant, Ayob Mohammed, for about a year before the incident. It had previously been known as M&K Barbers, which had occupied the site for the previous three years.
“It seems that rivalry between these two relatively new establishments, in close proximity to one another, came to a head, leading to appalling violence witnessed by the public at large.”
Mr Hearnden said: “Within seconds of the eruption of violence, the third defendant, Kozheen Banaee, stabbed the seventh defendant, Sarbast Ibrahimi, in the shoulder.
“The weapon he uses is either a pair of haircutting scissors or a straight razor – the sort that barbers use.
“This is decidedly not self-defence. Even if Kozheen Banaee was defending himself or somebody else, the force used was disproportionate.
“But, in any event, what he did next went far beyond anything necessary to prevent further violence.
“Kozheen Banaee then dragged this bladed weapon down through Sarbast Ibrahimi’s arm.
“It was so bad that it caused a 15cm long ‘de-gloving’ injury, an injury where the top layers of skin and tissue are torn away from the underlying muscle, connective tissue, or bone.
“Sarbast Ibrahimi also received a further wound to his forearm – a deep cut down to the bone.
“As a result of the disorder, at least three of the group, including Mr Ibrahimi, required emergency medical treatment … (He) would have died because of significant blood loss without intervention.
“Kozheen Banaee, was also taken to hospital by ambulance. He had a wound on the right temple and a 4cm wound over the left shoulder. He had further wounds on his hands and legs.
“The fifth defendant, Ayub Mohammed, was similarly admitted to hospital. He had a scalp wound to the back of his head and was given stitches.
“The seventh defendant, Sardar Ibrahami, was seriously injured, as I have said, and has yet to make a full recovery.
“Kozheen Banaee injured him with intent to do him grievous bodily harm.”
Hogr Banaee, 24, of St Leonards Avenue, Hove, and formerly of Falmer Road, Brighton, and the Vega Building, Roman Road, Hove, and Gabriel’s Hill, Maidstone, is charged with violent disorder and having an offensive weapon in a public place.
Kosar Banaee, 19, of St Leonards Avenue, Hove, and formerly of the Vega Building, Roman Road, Hove, is charged with violent disorder.
Kozheen Banaee, 25, of St Leonards Avenue, Hove, and formerly of Dyke Road, Brighton, and Kent House, Romney Place, Maidstone, is charged with violent disorder and wounding Sarbast Ibrahimi with intent to do him grievous bodily harm (GBH).
Ali Husseini, 19, of St Leonards Avenue, Hove, and formerly of Dyke Road, Brighton, is charged with violent disorder.
Ayob Mohammed, 21, of The Maples, Ferring, Worthing, and formerly of Western Road, Brighton, is charged with violent disorder and having an offensive weapon in a public place.
Sardam Qadir, 31, of Lower Rock Gardens, Brighton, and formerly of Blacksail Walk, Oldham, is charged with violent disorder and having a plank of wood as an offensive weapon in a public place.
Sarbast Ibrahimi, 25, of Somerhill Avenue, Hove, and formerly of Ingram Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, is charged with violent disorder and having a plank of wood as an offensive weapon in a public place.
Judge Stephen Mooney sent the jury out to consider their verdicts at about 3.30pm on Wednesday (11 December).
They spent all day yesterday deliberating and are due to resume at 10am today (Friday 13 December).
More cultural enrichment.
So many barber shops in the City, staffed by young men of middle eastern appearance – with so few customers, makes one wonder if they are legitimate businesses or something more sinister.
Sounds like you dislike young men of middle Eastern appearance
I dislike young men who brawl on our streets whatever their appearance.
Law enforcement really need to get a grip on all these fronts for other businesses. It’s got completely out of hand, nail bars, barbers, all only taking cash, as far as the eye can see.
Brighton’s always had a problem with ‘antique shops’. Never on this scale though.
Eddie’s on Boundary Road is reputable, always get a good haircut there, and he has constant custom. A lot of these other shops are empty most of the time, and when you do go in, they’re surprised and someone hacks about with your hair.
Why do we tolerate this nonsense?
You should go vigilante and solve the crime, be the change you want to see , you could confront them and do a documentary. Accepting cash SOUNDS INSANE , someone do something.
its over – they will turn on us all when they can… weird place the UK has become, the future is not pretty.
why is there always a Turkish guy standing outside on his phone – taking deliveries?
THERE’S A LESSON HERE DON’T MESS WITH THE BANAEE BROTHERS LIKE TERRY McCANN IN MINDER I HEAR THEY’RE A BIT TASTY 😭
Don’t hairdresser usually take pride in their own appearance and hair styling??