Three teenagers were today sentenced for their roles in a ‘sustained and brutal attack’ on a college student when they and their victim were aged 16.

The youth suffered a ‘blowout’ fracture to his eye socket and a broken jaw and tooth in the gang assault in Allerton, Bradford, on September 20, 2019.

He was set on by the three defendants and at least four men who pulled up in an Audi A4, Bradford Crown Court heard.

Zakaria Ali, 19, of Cecil Avenue, Great Horton, Bradford, was sentenced to two years’ detention in a young offender institution to run consecutively to the three years he is currently serving in HMP Doncaster for a later violent attack.

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His co-accused Wahib Hussain, 19, of Heights Lane, Heaton, Bradford, and Itizaz Khan, also 19, of Bartle Grove, Great Horton, Bradford, each received suspended sentences of detention.

They pleaded guilty to unlawfully and maliciously wounding the student with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. Ali was convicted of the offence after a trial.

The court heard he is serving a three-year sentence imposed at the court in December for a later Section 18 GBH committed in March 2020.

Ali hit his victim over the head with a baseball bat causing a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain.

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Andrew Espley, prosecuting, said the joint attack left the 16-year-old needing surgery at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

In her victim impact statement, his mother said a teacher told her he had been assaulted. A metal plate had been inserted into his face after the vicious attack.

He had become withdrawn, suffered anxiety and panic attacks and had trouble sleeping.

The teenager himself said he was no longer able to do the sport he had enjoyed and had been left with serious problems with his eyes. He had nightmares and remembered being on the ground gasping for air during the attack.

Matthew Harding, Ali’s barrister, said he was 16 when he committed the offence and he was not the ringleader. All were equally involved.

Only yesterday, he received his enhanced prisoner status for ‘a clean sheet’ while in custody. He worked five days a week in the canteen shop and had done a gym course.

He was anxious to complete his ‘A’ Levels and to follow in the footsteps of his successful and supportive family.

“The impact of custody on a young person cannot be underestimated,” Mr Harding said, urging the court not to treat Ali as a dangerous offender.

Jeremy Barton, for Hussain, said he was 16 at the time and of previous good character. There had been no offending since and he had an apprenticeship and a supportive family.

A sheaf of references spoke very highly of him. He had learned his lesson and would move on with his life.

For Khan, it was stated that he was a model student and had achieved good references from a work experience placement. He hoped to become a civil engineer and he was described as a good and polite young man.

It was almost three years since the offence and he had not been in any trouble since. He had a part-time job and no ‘criminal behaviour issues.’ Judge Colin Burn said it was ‘a sustained and brutal attack’ in which the youth suffered a fractured eye socket that was ‘a blowout injury,’ as well as a fractured jaw and tooth.

He was no longer able to do the sport he had enjoyed and his family was left with ‘a general feeling of insecurity almost bordering on panic’ about anything like this happening to him again.

Hussain and Khan had not been in any trouble since and they were not the ‘committed violent criminals’ so often before the court.

In all other respects they were leading honest and hard working lives with bright futures ahead of them.

Each was sentenced to two years in a young offender institution, suspended for two years, with 240 hours of unpaid work.

But for Ali ‘it gets worse’ Judge Burn stated. He went on to hit a male on the head with a baseball bat when he was aged 17.

Judge Burn did not label him a dangerous offender because he was a youth when he committed both the offences.

He was sentenced to 24 months to run consecutively with his current period of detention.

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