Homophobic thug jailed for group attack on gay, trans couple that left both victims in trauma unit
The brutal attack left one victim afraid to leave the house. (Stock photograph via Envato Elements)
A homophobic thug has been jailed for nine years for a brutal group attack on a gay, trans couple that left both victims in a hospital trauma unit.
Asfandyar Kiani, 21, was handed the lengthy sentence in Worcester Crown Court on Friday (12 March) after violently assaulting two gay men, one of whom was transgender, in September 2019.
Both men were knocked unconscious in the attack, which broke one victim’s jaw in at least two places and forced him to be placed on a liquid diet for eight weeks.
“One of them ended up falling to his knees, pleading with you to stop. He was hit very hard in the face with what he thought was a knuckle duster,” Judge Nicolas Cartwright said, as reported by Worcester News.
The couple had been walking to Morrisons supermarket when they were approached by Kiani and Brandon Taylor, 19, who has yet to be sentenced for his role in the attack.
Seeing the men were wearing black nail varnish, Kiani and Taylor mockingly described them as “a bit gay” and “sick”, and made sexually offensive remarks involving “lube” which the judge ruled were “homophobic and anti-transgender comments”.
They then set upon the couple, throwing punches and kicks “as hard as each of you could”, the judge said.
As the couple pleaded that they were pacifists, the most seriously injured of the two men had his face “smacked on the ground”, causing a gash to his temple. When his partner came to assist and he was also kicked had his nose broken.
Both of the victims are on the autistic spectrum, with one being so shaken by the attack he’s become “extremely withdrawn” and is now afraid to go outside.
“The attack has set him back massively to the point that he will not go out entirely and is virtually a prisoner in his house,” his mother told the court.
Kiani reportedly showed no emotion as a judge handed him the lengthy sentence in Worcester Crown Court on Friday (12 March). He must serve at least two thirds of his nine year sentence behind bars.
Judge Cartwright increased the sentence to reflect the fact that the assault “was motivated by and did demonstrate hostility” based upon the sexuality and gender orientation of his victims.
It was also noted that at the time of the assault Kiani was still under investigation for another group attack in Worcester in which another man was knocked unconscious.
