Mothers shield babies on bus as shot shatters window

Two mothers threw themselves over their babies to shield them as at least one gunshot shattered a bus window in Western Road during terrifying violence on a weekday afternoon.

The shot smashed the window closest to the space for babies’ buggies, prams and pushchairs on a Brighton and Hove Buses bus which was impounded by Sussex Police shortly afterwards.

The weapon was fired as two groups of men – at least a dozen in all – were involved in an outbreak of violence that erupted at Faded Barbers, in Preston Street, Brighton.

Two firearms or imitation firearms were being carried as well as knives and other weapons including a wrench and a baseball bat, Hove Crown Court was told yesterday (Friday 21 November).

Natasha Dardashti, prosecuting, said: “On Tuesday 24 May 2022 at 2.20pm, police were contacted about an incident unfolding in Western Road, in Brighton.

“By the time police attended, all parties had dispersed and there was blood visible in the street.

“The police trawled for CCTV (which shows) a group of men running along with knives, baseball bats, a wrench and a BB gun.

“A brick is used and one of the men is seen to be attacked with weapons. One of the men is stabbed.

“This all took place in one of the busiest streets in Brighton with many people in the vicinity.”

She said that passengers on the bus could see what was happening, adding: “At one point, the occupants of the bus were scared for their own safety when a gunshot shattered one of the windows of the bus.

“There were two ladies with prams in that bus. Each threw themselves over their babies to protect them.

“CCTV reveals 12 or more men involved in the disorder. Five of them were identified from CCTV. They were each arrested and interviewed.”

One of the men, Oliver Pierce, 33, of Brentwood Road, Hollingdean, said that he was in Brighton with two friends when they were approached by a group and an argument broke out in Arabic.

Miss Dardashti said: “He noticed that they had an array of weapons. He claims that he did not know what was happening. He says that one of them brandished a knife at him and repeatedly said: ‘You look nervous.’

“Mr Pierce says that he tried to get control of the knife and during a brief tussle he sustained slice injuries to his hand.

“Mr Pierce said that he gained control of the knife and ran off down Little Preston Street to escape.

“He describes running down the street with his friends with the group chasing after them, throwing bricks at them.

“He says that he heard the gun making a popping noise. He said that a brick hit him in the head causing him to fall down.

“He was then hit over the head with a baseball bat and he was stabbed in the back. He then managed to get into a taxi which took him home.”

Miss Dardashti said that Roon Qudri, 26, of Ashton Rise, Brighton, told police that he had been working in the barber shop on the corner of Preston Street and Stone Street.

He described three men coming to the shop. He recognised them, including one who was English and who had been a customer there. Two other men came, one of them said to be Arabic.

The court was told: “Mr Qudri said that a large fight erupted outside of the barber shop and that he saw a male with a machete across the road.

“Mr Qudri says that he was the last person to leave the shop and that he chased them down the road to get them away from the shop.”

He told police that he did not to know any of the people involved, had not seen any weapons nor had he seen any assault.

He denied being involved in any physical altercation or having had a weapon himself. But CCTV footage showed that he was not the last in the chase – and had what appeared to be an orange wrench.

Qudri initially faced a jury in the trial that was halted and, before the second trial could start, he pleaded guilty to having the wrench as an offensive weapon.

The other barber in the shop, Yad Fatah, 25, of Selsfield Drive, Moulsecoomb, was charged with violent disorder and having a baseball bat as a weapon. He pleaded guilty on his first court appearance.

Two brothers, Khozeen Banaee, 26, of Montpelier Road, Brighton, and Hogr Banaee, 25, of Falmer Road, Brighton, were interviewed by the police but neither answered any questions.

They initially denied violent disorder and a trial started but had to be halted through no fault of theirs. Before a second trial could begin, they changed their pleas to guilty.

At the time of the incident, Sussex Police said: “This is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no wider risk to the public.”

But the brothers became caught up in another violent street brawl involving people linked to two rival barber shops yards from each other in Hove and Portslade in April last year.

They were among seven men who went on trial last December, with three of them being jailed in February this year after being convicted of violent disorder.

A jury acquitted the Banaee brothers after the pair and another brother Kosar succeeded in claiming self-defence.

And six months after the violence in Western Road, Fatah was stabbed outside Faded Barbers when a colleague, Adam Pirot, of Roedean Road, Hollingdean, attacked him with scissors in a fight over how much to charge a customer.

Pirot, who was 18 at the time, followed Fatah out of the shop and attacked him in Stone Street, repeatedly stabbing and slashing him. In February, Pirot was jailed for five years.

Fatah suffered serious injuries including a nasty cut to his right arm and his chest, close to his heart, leaving him with a collapsed lung.

Today, James Yates, defending Fatah, said that he was stabbed six times and spent ten days in hospital. He had since had limited use of his left hand, leaving him unable to work as a barber.

Mr Yates said: “What happened that day was wholly out of character. He is genuinely remorseful. He understands how distressing this must have been for members of the public to witness.

“He is a refugee from Iraq. His parents and sister are missing presumed dead. He knows that he has put his refugee status at risk. His status is now under review, pending the outcome of this sentencing.”

Marianna Pasteris, defending Pierce, said that there was no evidence about how the violence started but she said that her client was a victim. He was stabbed in the back and the blade came close to his heart – stopping just millimetres from being a fatal wound.

Pierce admitted having the knife because he had disarmed someone else and then ran off, she said, adding: “After disarming an assailant, he does not use the knife or seek to use the knife.”

He also pleaded guilty to a burglary and an attempted burglary in July, both in Hollingdean Rise, Brighton, one street away from his home.

Miss Dardashti said that the 33-year-old had 39 previous convictions for 70 offences including having a knife, burglary and theft, public order offences and affray.

Miss Pasteris said that his most recent conviction for burglary was many years ago and that, since his arrest in the summer, he had taken positive steps to turn his life around.

The court was told that the Banaees were child refugees from an Iranian Kurdish family living in Iraq.

Dudley Beal, defending Qudri, said that he was also a refugee from Iran. Since the violence he had stayed out of trouble, set up his own barber shop and employed others to work there.

Judge Stephen Mooney said that people were going about their normal day-to-day business in the early afternoon.

He said: “The normality of that afternoon was shattered by you and those associated with you … You ran down the road armed with a baseball bat, an imitation firearm and a large knife.

“You were on intent on causing harm and, during what happened thereafter, the BB gun was fired close to women pushing their children in prams and shattering the glass of a bus.

“You (Fatah) caught up with one person (Pierce) and repeatedly struck him with the baseball bat while he was on the floor in a manner that could easily have killed that person or caused really serious harm.

“It was the most appalling behaviour.”

The judge cited the sentencing guidelines and said that the defendants were entitled to credit for pleading guilty and, apart from Pierce, they were of previous good character.

But the aggravating factors included “active and persistent” participation and violence in a busy public area “with a BB gun being carried and used in a manner that was truly awful”.

And he said: “Vulnerable persons or children were present during the incident – mothers with children in prams.”

The judge told Fatah: “You entered a guilty plea at the first available occasion and you are not responsible for the delay of over three years since you entered that plea.

“You have not reoffended since and I treat the plea and the timing of the plea as evidence of genuine remorse.

“If you had been sentenced in 2022 or even 2023, I would have sent you straight to prison but I am now just able to suspend your sentence.

“Your sentence is therefore two years, suspended for 18 months, with a condition of 200 hours of unpaid work.”

Hogr and Koseen Banaee were each jailed for two years and three months for violent disorder and nine months to be served concurrently – at the same time – for having an offensive weapon.

Qudri was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, for having an offensive weapon, and fined £1,000.

Judge Mooney told Pierce: “You attended the barbers’ shop with others with an intention to confront those within. I don’t know why but you certainly weren’t going there for a haircut.

“You got more than you bargained for and immediately fled once you realised that you were seriously outnumbered.

“In the course of your fleeing, you took with you a knife with the intention of preventing it being used against you. Unfortunately for you, other weapons were available to those in pursuit and you suffered very serious injuries.

“Turning to the burglary, you have a poor criminal record including a number of domestic burglaries but the last was committed some time ago.

“The offence was unpleasant. You equipped yourself with the basic tools for burglary which included a torch and gloves or socks on your hands.

“It really doesn’t matter which. This was July and the only reason for your hands to be covered was to prevent you leaving fingerprints.

“The offence took place at night and the victim was both present and vulnerable, being elderly and suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, although I accept that you were unaware of that fact.”

The judge jailed Pierce for a total of two years and ten months, having been guided through the Sentencing Council guidelines by the prosecution and defence counsel.

Pierce has already spent four months in custody on remand and the 33-year-old offender is likely to be eligible for release from prison on licence in less than a year.