Two jailed after attacking and stealing from Stafford car wash owner

Sabir Qarani was working on the car park at Stafford's Asda store when he was approached by three men including Luke Owen.

During the 'unprovoked and unwarranted' assault, which saw the victim kicked and punched on the ground, thief Marc Goater then took advantage and stole £350 in takings from Qarani's office.

Miss Lisa Hancox, prosecuting, said: "Goater was there while the assault was taking place. He went in to the car wash office and emptied a metal cash box."

Miss Hancox said the incident started with three men walking towards the car wash around 3.30pm on October 19.

Two of them were walking together and as they got closer, one of them, Owen, asked Mr Qarani 'are you from Afghanistan?'

He replied it was none of their business and was punched in the face, knocking him to the floor.

Witnesses described the car wash owner being kicked and punched by two men as he lay on the ground. It was then that Goater entered the office and stole the cash.

The assault ended when a car pulled up, a man got out and pulled Owen away. Both defendants then ran off.

Police arrested Owen on October 22 at a hostel where he was living at the time. In his jacket pocket was a car key which fitted a Citroen parked nearby.

The Citroen, which had false number plates, was a stolen vehicle, taken in a car-key burglary on August 27.

Owen, aged 26, of no fixed address, admitted a charge of assault causing actual bodily harm and a separate offence of handling stolen goods. He was jailed for a total of eight months.

Goater, aged 24, of Lichfield Road, Stafford, admitted theft and was jailed for three months. He was also ordered to pay Mr Qarani £350 compensation and £720 costs.

Mr Lee Marklew, representing Owen, said the incident at the car wash came about because local youths were using it as a short cut and Mr Qarani was irked because they were walking in to an area where he was working.

Mr Mark Nicholls, defending Goater, said his client 'took advantage of the situation unfolding before him' and stole around £350.

Judge Mark Eades told the pair: "I am disinclined to believe a word you have put forward. You are both well practised criminals. In your case, Owen, the account you gave to probation was a pack of lies.

"What really happened on October 19, only you two know. The prosecution are prepared to accept you were acting independently of each other.

"I have to accept that approach whatever personal reservations I have about it. This attack was unprovoked and unwarranted."