'Belittled' man shouted 'I will kill you' as he attacked woman with a hammer

Mozafar Shan launched the unprovoked attack while his family were dealing with the aftermath of his mother’s death as he felt ‘belittled’ by his father and other relatives.

The 31-year-old hit his victim on the shoulder from behind before beating her about the head with the hammer before family members could rescue her, Teesside Crown Court heard.

His victim suffered a broken collar bone, and cuts and bruises to her head and hand, following the brutal attack.

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Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said: "The defendant was holding a hammer, she was in shock and could feel pain on her collar bone. she asked if he had hit her and his response didn't make any sense.

"He then hit her on the head a number of times – he said he was going to kill her.

"She was in so much shock, she couldn't remember how many times she had been hit.

"The defendant repeated that he was going to kill her."

She added: "It's serious injury but not the most serious injury."

Miss Masters told the court that Shan fled the scene and was arrested by police on the A1m heading south.

Mozafar Shan

She said Shan had previous convictions for drug dealing and was caught speeding after taking cocaine.

Shan, of Conyers Way, North Ormesby, Middlesbrough, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent following the attack on June 12 this year.

In mitigation, Robert Mochrie, said the defendant felt 'belittled' by his father and family members of the years but conceded it was no excuse for his behaviour when he attacked his sister-in-law.

He said: "He tried to resolve it but went about it in a completely unacceptable manner. He acted out of character on the day in question."

Judge Deborah Sherwin told him he was lucky that the injuries were not more serious than they were as she jailed him for four years and two months.

She said: "You struck her on the shoulder, head and hand with the hammer. to attack anybody with a hammer is bad enough but to attack a women with a hammer is unforgivable.

"If you hit someone on the head with a hammer, you run the risk of causing far more serious injuries – hitting someone on the head with a hammer can lead to someone dying."