A kebab van owner was punched in the eye – after asking a nuisance customer to move along.
Ellis Harvey’s friend, who was then aged just 16, was the instigator of the trouble when in the early hours of July 25 last year he started approaching the kebab van’s customers.
Pioneer Grill owner Hamed Askarieh asked the boy to move away, with bystanders describing him as ‘calm and reasonable’ in making the request.
Having moved away, there was then some ‘scuffling and pulling of clothing’ before Harvey ran from the side ‘at speed’ and punched Mr Askarieh in the face.
Two other co-defendants laid into the takeaway owner after he fell to the ground.
As a result of the attack, Mr Askarieh suffered a broken eye socket, broken nose and cuts to his face.
In a victim personal statement, he said he would ‘never’ regain his full vision in one of his eyes.
“This has affected all aspects of my life,” he said. “I find myself scared and angry this has happened to me.”
Mr Askarieh added that he had set up the takeaway van hoping to be a businessman. “But this has now changed my life forever.”
Harvey, now of HMP Bullingdon, near Bicester, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm. Last week, Oxford Crown Court heard he was remorseful for his actions.
The 23-year-old is currently serving a four year sentence, imposed in April, for sexually assaulting a teenage girl six years his junior.
Sentencing him last Thursday, Judge Michael Gledhill QC imposed 18 months’ imprisonment – but said it would be served after the longer jail term.
The judge told Harvey that the ring on the hand he used to punch Mr Askarieh in the face ‘effectively became a weapon’ during the assault.
“I simply do not understand why at four o’clock in the morning you should get involved with your mates in a fracas with a kebab van owner,” Judge Gledhill said.
In April, another judge, honorary Recorder of Oxford Judge Ian Pringle QC, described the impact of Harvey’s sexual offending on his underage victim as ‘appallingly awful’.
The senior circuit judge told the defendant, who was found guilty of sexual assault by penetration and sexual activity with a child: “You have done so well in your life in other respects. You are thought of extremely highly by all your family, grandparents, friends, people you work for, your girlfriend who’s stood by you.
“But this secret aspect of your behaviour is truly shameful.”
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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.
To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk
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