Takeaway boss knifed after he refused customer tomato sauce on his chips, court told (From Darlington and Stockton Times)

Takeaway boss in Ormesby, Middlesbrough, knifed after telling customer he could not have ketchup on his chips, court told

10:53am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News By Neil Hunter

A TAKE-AWAY boss was knifed after a drunken customer flew into a rage when he was told he could not have sauce on his chips.

Tarlocham Singh was slashed across the arm when Javed Khan Hussain returned to the Teesside shop following the late-night row.

Hussain, 21, hurled racist abuse at the trader before storming out of the take-away to a friend's home nearby to pick up a kitchen knife.

Terrified Mr Singh locked the shop but Hussain booted in the door before chasing his victim down the street, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Sue Jacobs said the shop owner needed hospital treatment for two cuts to his upper left arm suffered in the August attack.

Hussain, of Frederick Street, Middlesbrough, was jailed for two years after he admitted a charge of racially-aggravated wounding.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told him: "You took objection for no reason at all for being deprived some sauce.

"You racially abused him and set about arming yourself with a very significant weapon - a kitchen knife with a nine-inch blade.

"Anyone who, at night, decides to confront anybody with a knife, then, of course, they should expect to be locked up."

The court heard that Hussain has six previous convictions for assault and robbery going back to when he was aged 12.

One of the other cases was also racially-aggravated, said Mrs Jacobs, and he has also been prosecuted for carrying a knife.

Umza Khan, mitigating, said Hussain had a troubled childhood and led a "chaotic and lonely" life without a role model.

"He has been left to fend for himself," she added. "He is before the court remorseful and accepting his behaviour was stupid.

"He states he armed himself because he had been subjected to racial abuse and this is something he has encountered throughout his life.

"He has no sense of belonging to any community, to any family or any culture.

"His mood was very low. That was because in the last 12 months he lost two friends to suicide, he lost his dog and girlfriend and had been made homeless three times."

Judge Bourne-Arton described the attack at the Raj Tandoori in Ormesby as "violent and disgraceful" and told Hussain: "You have a very bad record."

He said: "I have to consider you as someone who is quite prepared to resort to violence and, on occasions, serious violence."

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