ByGeoffrey BennettCrown Court Reporter
Friday May 19, 2023
Abdulqani Hamdan
A hammer attacker who mounted a 'revenge attack' on a man in Easton has been jailed. Somali Army veteran Abdulqani Hamdan attacked his victim in Stapleton Road in January 2020, Bristol Crown Court heard.
Hamdan, 43, of Croydon House, denied wrongdoing but was convicted of wounding with intent and possessing an offensive weapon. Judge Julian Lambert jailed him for four years and issued him an indefinite restraining order banning him from all contact with the complainant.
The judge told him: "You continue to deny responsibility, there is no remorse from you. This was a hammer attack, you went out in search of your man in a dispute with the other man.
"It was a pre-meditated revenge attack with a weapon taken to the scene. It was a matter of luck the physical injury occasioned was limited to a very nasty laceration."
'I'm worried I'll see the man who hit me and he'll hit me again'The victim of the assault, who suffered a cut to the head which needed stitches, gave an impact statement in which they said they suffered headaches and sleep loss afterwards. They stated: "When I go out in Easton I am nervous. I'm worried I'll see the man who hit me and he'll hit me again."
Derek Perry, defending, told the court his client did active service in the Somali Army and experienced significant trauma. That stemmed from witnessing the deaths of his father and brother as well as suffering significant injury himself.