Worcester thug who knocked out boy, 11, 'wants to change'

We reported how Qamran Ali was jailed for three years for the attack on the boy, raining down punches, kicks and stamps on the boy's face, knocking out his front teeth.

Ali, who was said to smirk in his police interview, even confessed to officers that he feared he would kill someone one day and that everyone who saw him was afraid of him.

The 'sensitive' and 'innocent' boy, who lost four of his adult teeth in the attack, is facing ongoing treatment and pain relief for his injuries and was also prescribed antibiotics.

The 41-year-old defendant of Avon Road, Worcester, launched what the prosecution called a 'frenzied' attack on the boy and was wearing shoes when he 'stomped' on the boy's face as he lay asleep and utterly helpless on August 27 last year.

Ali was high on crack cocaine and cannabis at the time. He also broke his ex's jaw and has kidnap and firearms offences on his record. Earlier on the day of the attack on the boy he attempted to throttle a chicken.

However, we can now reveal the background which might explain - though not justify - his brutal behaviour.

Ali has said he is 'ashamed' of what he did to the lad although questions were also raised about how genuine remorse was by the prosecutor.

Mark Sheward, defending, said his client had been taught to fight by his uncle and told to 'stick up for himself' by his parents. "It's accepted this culture of violence leaked into his adult life.

"At the time of this offence Mr Ali tells me he had taken cocaine. He was also smoking a significant quantity of cannabis," said the solicitor.

Mr Sheward also said it was accepted that 'if things did not go his way he would flip'. "He does not dispute in any way the prosecution case. He's ashamed of his behaviour."

Ali has not been diagnosed with any mental illness, said Mr Sheward, although it was accepted he had 'a socially and emotionally unstable personality'.

Asking the judge to keep the inevitable custodial sentence to the minimum, he agreed the judge should assess whether Ali was dangerous. "He wants to change. He intends to change while he's in custody. He's had six or seven months without taking drugs" said Mr Sheward.

Judge Nicholas Cole said: "When interviewed by the police you described yourself as a danger to yourself and others and being concerned you might kill someone. The officer's impression was that you lacked genuine remorse.

"These offences are made even more serious, if that were possible, by your previous offences - 10 convictions for 15 offences, six for offences of violence."

The judge said that 'the ongoing effect (on the boy) is significant' and referred to the attack on him as a 'violent frenzy'.

Ali's offending began with assaults in 1997 and 1998. In 2006 he was jailed for nine years for firearms and kidnap offences over a drugs dispute. A further battery followed in 2014 while in 2017 he was given a 22 month prison sentence suspended for two years for breaking his then partner's jaw."

He placed the assault on the boy in category one (the most serious) because of injuries inflicted were serious within the context of the offence.

For a category one ABH the starting point within the guidelines is 18 months custody with a range of up to three years within the sentencing guidelines.

The judge went higher than this range in sentencing, telling the court: "Guidelines are not a straitjacket.

"Sentencing guidelines are just that - guidelines."

The judge sentenced him to four and a half years but had to reduce the sentence by a third to reflect the early guilty plea offered at magistrates court.

Concurrent sentences were imposed on two other assault by beating charges which arose out of the same incident, one committed against a second child and the other against an adult.

The total sentence was therefore three years, less the time he has spent on remand. He will serve half that sentence in custody and half on licence in the community.