A BRADFORD shop worker accused of assaulting a customer had the charge against him reduced from grievous bodily harm to affray after CCTV revealed the customer’s injuries were caused by someone else.

In what was described as an “unusual” case Bradford Crown Court was shown footage of an altercation between shop worker Hazar Nadri and a male customer at the Top Market off licence in Nurser Lane, Little Horton, in July 2021, that spilled out into the street.

Prosecuting, Alisha Kaye said affray was the most appropriate offence for Nadri as the customer’s account of the incident had been “untruthful”.

The court heard that the customer, with another man, was being obnoxious, throwing insults, swearing in front of a female customer, and trying to jump the queue.

Nadri, who was behind the counter, asked the man to calm down but the customer invited him outside. A heated argument erupted that saw Nadri physically barred from re-entering the shop.

The pair then squared up to one another on the pavement and Nadri was headbutted by the customer who also swung punches at him and threatened to kill him.

There followed some aggressive pushing and shoving.

As the customer turned Nadri swung a punch that connected with the back of his head.

As the customer began to walk away a car pulled up and three men got out. An unknown man was seen to unleash “a vicious attack” by throwing the customer to the ground, kneeing him, and kicking at his head.

The court heard that this attacker had not been identified but that it was not Nadri, and that there was no evidence to link the three men to him.

Nadri, of Sunbridge Road, Bradford, who is now 33, pleaded guilty to affray. He was handed a 12-month community order and told to complete 100 hours of unpaid work. He was also told to complete a 10-day rehabilitation activity requirement.

His Honour Judge Colin Burn said: “What may have been characterised as an initial altercation was in fact an assault by him on you.

“Your fault was to throw a blow at the point at which those other individuals arrived and then to follow them in their pursuit of [the customer] down the street.

“That constitutes use of the sort of threatening behaviour that would make someone walking along the street fear for their personal safety.”