Machete attack victim accused

Defence counsel Nigel Edwards, in attempted murder trial made allegations against Nawzadi Haidari after he told how he was assaulted with machete in central Middlesbrough.

Full story reported here.

A machete attack victim has been accused of being part of an armed “gang” which tried to dominate an area of Middlesbrough. The defence in a murder bid trial made allegations against Nawzadi Haidari after he told how he was assaulted with a machete. He and Sirous Alizadeh accuse each other of being the aggressor in violence on Victoria Road, central Middlesbrough.

Alizadeh, 27, and two other men deny attempted murder in a trial at Teesside Crown Court. The defence says Alizadeh was wrongly blamed as an “easier target” than the true machete attacker. Mr Haidari told how he was struck to the head and arm with the blade on the evening of June 4.

He said Alizadeh came at him with a machete, aiming for his face, after telling him: “Come forward, I will kill you.” Three of his fingers and one of his elbows were cut, before his head was struck, fracturing his skull, the court was told. He said yesterday he tried to defend himself by waving a snooker cue he’d taken out of his car.

Giving evidence yesterday, Mr Haidari described Alizadeh as “a guy who is always after trouble”. Each man says the other shouted, swore and made a challenge to fight when Alizadeh’s Ford Transit van and Mr Haidari’s Ford Focus RS met on nearby Waterloo Road that day.

Mr Edwards, instructed by David Harbron of Chivers Solicitors claimed Mr Haidari thought of himself as a “hardman” and was part of a group which liked to control business, tried to intimidate people and had numerous enemies. Mr Edwards said Mr Haidari decided to find Alizadeh and beat him up. He alleged the group of five to seven “boxed in” Alizadeh and threatened to kill him for insulting Mr Haidari earlier that day.

He said Mr Haidari hit Alizadeh to the head and face with the pool cue, and 30 to 50 people gathered in the street screaming and trying to stop him.

Mr Haidari denied all of the defence’s allegations as “not true”.He denied that he was involved in assaults in the same area weeks earlier. He maintained he was Iranian, while Mr Edwards claimed he was Iraqi.

Alizadeh, of Aire Street, Middlesbrough, the BMW passenger Mehrdad Elyassi, 27, of Westbury Street, Thornaby, and the driver Mohammed Abedi, 36, of Pannell Avenue, Whinney Banks, Middlesbrough, all deny attempted murder.

Mr Edwards said Mr Haidari decided to find Alizadeh and beat him up.

He alleged the group of five to seven “boxed in” Alizadeh and threatened to kill him for insulting Mr Haidari earlier that day. He said Mr Haidari hit Alizadeh to the head and face with the pool cue, and 30 to 50 people gathered in the street screaming and trying to stop him. Mr Haidari denied all of the defence’s allegations as “not true”. He denied that he was involved in assaults in the same area weeks earlier. He maintained he was Iranian, while Mr Edwards claimed he was Iraqi.