FOUR men have avoided an immediate jail sentence over a reprisal attack on a Bradford minicab firm.

The threatening and violent behaviour took place in the early hours of Christmas Day 2018 and was captured on CCTV, which was shown to Bradford Crown Court yesterday.

The men - Mohammed Shabir, brothers Mahboob Hussain and Dawoud Hussain, and Ben Egan -attacked the premises of Ace Budget Cars on Thornton Road, over a dispute.

The court heard yesterday how the men had variously thrown a petrol can, a cone and wheelie bins, as well as kicked cars, with one man throwing punches, as they tried to gain entry to the cab office.

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Prosecutor Heather Gilmore described how Shabir, 33, Mahboob Hussain, 39, and Dawoud Hussain, 37, all of St Leonard’s Road, Girlington, had been working at rival firm A&M Taxis, also in Thornton Road.

They had been receiving threatening phone calls in the run-up to the incident, she said, and late on Christmas Eve a brick was thrown through the window of a vehicle outside the office, leading Mahboob Hussain to give chase.

She added that Shabir and Dawoud Hussain had caught up with Mahboob Hussain, and they drove a Mitsubishi Shogun to Ace Budget Cars.

“A male approaches Mahboob, who he alleges smashed a window at A&M Taxis, and the pair swing at each other, fighting, with Mahboob ending up on the ground,” said Miss Gilmore.

She added that the trio, who had been joined by a drunk Ben Egan, 37, failed to gain entry to the cab office as worker Mohammed Yasin had locked the door.

All four approached the office, kicking and pulling at the door, with Egan kicking at the wing mirror of a nearby taxi.

“Mahboob drives at speed to towards the office, and Mr Yasin thought at that point they were going to drive into the office,” the prosecutor added. Around £1,000 of damage was caused in the incident.

All four men pleaded guilty to affray and were sentenced to a six month jail term, suspended for 18 months for three defendants, and two years for Egan.

Mahboob Hussain and Egan were ordered to complete work in the community, of 150 hours and 180 hours respectively.

Shabir and Dawoud Hussain received curfews lasting four months.

In mitigation, Dawoud Hussain was said to be ashamed of his behaviour, with his barrister adding: “He shouldn’t have gone, he should have left it to the police.”

Mahboob Hussain was said to have fractured his jaw in the incident, having got involved as “a response to extreme provocation”.

His barrister added that the men had already paid £350 to the cab driver whose vehicle was damaged during the incident.

Shabir was said to have suffered “traumatic” consequences from a violent attack which took place later the same day involving the two rival cab firms. “He’s not been able to work since. He does regret his actions.”

He was punched repeatedly and slashed across the back of his neck, for which Faisal Munir Hussain, 29, of Toller Lane, was jailed for more than five years at a hearing in July.

Egan, of Albion Place, Thornton, was said to have “acted impulsively” by getting involved and had simply been wanting to get a taxi home.

Judge Colin Burn said Egan did not even have a “bad excuse” for his behaviour, adding of the incident: “Emotions were so high, you weren’t able to focus your attention on causing any serious damage and in Mr Egan’s case, you were too drunk.”