An Iranian migrant living in Birmingham was sentenced for a ‘vicious’ attack on Soho Road.
Sharhad Rahmani, 40, of Rood End Road, Oldbury, pleaded guilty to inflicting unlawful wounding on Mr Shamal Abdullah and was sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on the 26th May 2026.
The assault occured on the 14th of April 2024 on Soho Road in Birmingham shortly after 9pm.
Mr Rahmani and two others started a confrontation and chased Mr Abdullah, who sought refuge in Spices Takeaway.
One of the attackers, not Rahmani, carried a bottle which he threatened the victim with.
The court was shown CCTV of how he tried to barricade the door of the fast-food restaurant but the three men pushed through.
The three attackers then kicked and punched Mr Abdullah to the floor and Mr Rahmani bit the ear of the victim.
On the same night Mr Abdullah was taken to the hospital to treat his wounds, especially the left ear which had become deformed.
The three men, including Rahmani, fled the scene in a grey VW golf which was used to identify the attackers.
Four months later Rahmani was arrested, at which point he said to police that Abdullah was a ‘troublemaker’.
The court heard Rahmani grew up in Iran and since moving to the UK had previous court appearances and convictions for a variety of crimes.
He lived in Home Office accommodation up until his arrest and was not in employment.
Abdullah went to a police station in September 2024 and identified Rahmani as the person who had bit his ear during the assault.
In a victim statement, Mr Abdullah said: “I am very scared. I am very worried for my safety. I don’t dare to go out. I’m scared of Soho Road.”
He was left with a permanently disfigured ear from the attack but otherwise his injuries were not considered grave.
During the sentencing hearing Mr Abdullah was described as someone of good character, which Rahmani, from the dock, sneered at and was reprimanded by Judge Peter Cooke, who said:
“I don’t accept that the late expression of remorse is genuine. I saw your face, it was not that of a remorseful man.”
Sentencing, Judge Cooke said: “This was a persistent assault and directed against someone who was vulnerable. Three onto one, he was hopelessly outnumbered. He fled from you. He barricaded himself in a shop.”
“It takes a particularly feral level of viciousness to sink your teeth into another person and bite their ear.”
Sharhad Rahmani was sentenced to 3 years and 7 months for inflicting unlawful wounding, handed a 15 year restraining order from contacting the victim and will be ordered to pay a victim surcharge.
Judge Cooke said that due to Rahmani’s extensive criminality, immigration authorities may review his right to live in the UK.
“If your days in this country are numbered, I expect few tears will be shed on your departure”, he said. “That is a matter for [the Immigration Services] not me.”