Judge Condemns Councillor After Knife Attacker Described as Polite in Reference

A judge at Birmingham Crown Court has issued a stinging rebuke to a local councillor who provided a glowing character reference for a dangerous 20-year-old knifeman jailed over a violent drug-dealing turf war stabbing.

Azhar Alizaib, formerly 19 at the time of the offence and residing at Brooklyn Avenue, Aston, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison with an extended licence period of three years after being declared a dangerous offender by the court.

Alizaib was found guilty of wounding with intent following a trial arising from a knife attack on a rival in Aston.

However, as the sentencing proceedings commenced, His Honour Judge Richard Bond halted the hearing to directly condemn a written reference submitted on the defendant's behalf by Liberal Democrat Councillor Mumtaz Hussain, who represents the Aston ward.

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The court heard that Councillor Hussain had submitted a formal reference describing Alizaib as polite, helpful and of good character, stating that she had known him since he was young and describing him as considerate to those around him.

Reading extracts from the councillor's letter aloud to the court, Judge Bond expressed outrage at the characterisation, stating that the assertion of good character was completely and utterly wrong and noting that the defendant possessed a positively bad character.

The judge highlighted that local judges faced a constant battle with city councillors writing supportive references claiming violent offenders were of good character when they possessed serious criminal records.

Judge Bond disclosed that Alizaib had previous convictions for wounding and robbing a victim while threatening them at knifepoint, warning that he was prepared to adjourn the court hearing and summon Councillor Hussain to give evidence under oath to explain her claims.

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Challenging the assertions in the letter, the judge questioned how someone who robbed people at knifepoint could be described as considerate and remarked that the only thing Alizaib strived to do his best in was drug dealing.

The intervention prompted Alizaib’s defence barrister, Robert Holt, to ask the judge to formally dismiss the reference from consideration.

Mr Holt explained to the court that he had not been afforded the opportunity to inspect or vet the document before solicitors uploaded it directly onto the court system.

In a subsequent statement, Councillor Hussain confirmed she had provided the reference and stood by her comments, explaining that her remarks were based on her personal experience and knowledge of Alizarin as a neighbour living on the same road. that

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Councillor Hussain stated that in her personal interactions with him over the years, she had found him to be polite, respectful and well-mannered.

She added that she did not support criminality, violence or unlawful behaviour of any kind, emphasizing that she fully respected Judge Bond’s ruling and upheld the independence of the judiciary and the proper administration of justice.

Detailing the background to the attack, the prosecution outlined how the violent confrontation unfolded on 20 January last year near a Tesco store in Aston.

Alizaib approached the victim while he was sitting in his stationary car and demanded to know whether he was shotting, a well-known slang term for street-level drug dealing.

When the victim responded by asking what he was talking about and what it had to do with him, Alizaib produced a large machete and poked the blade through the open car window in a threatening manner.

Following the initial confrontation, both men departed the scene, whereupon Alizaib changed his clothing to avoid detection and recruited a friend to drive him around the local area to hunt for the victim.

Upon locating the victim a short time later, Alizaib launched a premeditated revenge attack, stabbing the man in the leg in an effort to protect a drug-dealing territory claimed by individuals he was working for.

The victim managed to transport himself to a nearby hospital where surgeons treated the stab wound, and while he survived the assault, he has been left with a permanent limp.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Bond clarified that while Alizaib was not formally charged or convicted of drug dealing offences, the court was satisfied that the stabbing was directly connected to illicit drug supply and that the defendant was acting on behalf of organized dealers operating in the area.

In mitigation, Mr Holt submitted that his client was naive and immature at the time of the stabbing, describing him as a young man who appeared addicted to weapons, violence and heavy drug use.

The court was informed that Alizaib had confessed to smoking up to 15 spliffs of cannabis a day leading up to the incident.

Mr Holt added that while in custody the defendant had begun to demonstrate genuine remorse and empathy toward the victim and others impacted by his violent conduct. Despite the mitigation.

Judge Bond concluded that the severity of the wounding, the defendant's violent criminal history and the ongoing risk he posed to the public warranted an extended custodial sentence, ordering that Alizaib serve his prison sentence before being subject to an extended three-year licence period upon release.