WATCH: Thugs attack council litter official who challenged women for dropping cigarettes
Two men who attacked a litter officer after he challenged women for dropping cigarette butts have avoided prison.
One of the attackers racially abused the litter officer and the other hit him with a wooden pole during the attack in Dudley.
Body-cam footage shows the moment the victim was set upon by Raja Malik and Mohammed Nawaz in Kates Hill.
The litter officer had spotted women flicking cigarette butts from a car window in Pickford Street in August last year and later went to fine them when he saw the car parked in Jasmine Street.
WATCH the footage here:
But as he was taking their details 30-year-old Malik emerged from a house and confronted the officer saying “everyone chucks cigarette butts…I’ve done it”.
When the litter officer said he will call the police, Malik replied: "You call police and I'll f***ing take your head off".
He then added: "Get the f*** off my property you white motherf***er".
Nawaz, 50, joined in, chasing the council contractor and hitting him with a mop handle which shattered into several pieces due to the force of the blow.
Officers identified the thugs and 18 days after the attack went to speak to them at an address in Jasmine Street.
The men refused to let police inside and so, after several warnings, Inspector Pete Sandhu kicked open the front door.
Malik was charged with assault and racially aggravated assault and Nawaz with assault and using an offensive weapon.
They appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on May 27 where they both pleaded guilty to the offences and were handed suspended jail terms.
Malik was given a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, while Nawaz was given a six-month sentence suspended for a year.
Both were also ordered to pay the victim £500 in compensation.
Insp Sandhu, of Dudley Police, said: “This was a really shocking incident, a violent attack and racist abuse against a council contractor who was simply doing his job.
“The women who’d been seen littering remained calm, engaged with the officer and urged the two men not to get involved.
“But they ignored their pleas, threatened the victim and Nawaz shattered a wooden pole over him as he tried to retreat.
“There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of behaviour and the two men should be ashamed of their actions.”
The victim, aged 35, suffered bruising from the attack but was not seriously injured.
Councillor Karen Shakespeare, the Dudley Council cabinet member for public realm, said: “We welcome the verdict. This was a despicable act against an enforcement officer who was carrying out his duties in order to help keep our borough clean and tidy.
“It is disappointing that a small number of people seek to spoil our environment by littering, but residents can be assured that we will continue to take strong enforcement action against litter louts.”