BOXER JAILED FOR ALMOST 8 YEARS AFTER VIOLENTLY ATTACKING HIS MUM
A court heard that a man assaulted his mother by punching her and letting a dog bite her, all driven by paranoid beliefs that she had stolen his drugs.Usman Sheikh, an amateur boxer, is now facing a lengthy 83-month prison sentence for the brutal assault, which resulted in a brain bleed and bite wounds on his mother's arm.
During sentencing at Bradford Crown Court, Mr.
Recorder Tony Watkin stated that Sheikh posed a substantial danger to the public and emphasized that a standard fixed-term sentence would not sufficiently mitigate this risk.
He explained: “At the time of your attack, you were experiencing a severe substance-induced psychosis worsened by the substantial intake of cocaine, vodka, and 30 diazepam tablets, which caused extreme paranoia.
[This] severely impaired your perception of reality, judgment, and impulse control.” Sheikh was sentenced to 59 months in prison, with an additional two-year license extension, totaling 83 months or approximately seven years and 11 months.
Prosecutor Camille Morland described how the violent incident unfolded on August 20 of the previous year at Sheikh’s mother's residence in Halifax.
Sheikh, who has longstanding issues with drug addiction and is currently homeless but previously resided on Huddersfield Road, visited his mother to retrieve a bag of drugs.
When he couldn't find them, he became very angry and blamed her.
He overturned furniture and scattered household items while threatening her with the words, “I will kill you,” which she believed to be serious.
He then attempted to strangle her, cutting off her airflow to the point she thought she had lost consciousness.
Following this, he punched her in the face, causing a bleed on her brain.
His Cane Corso dogs were present during the attack, and one of them bit his mother several times.
Morland noted that Sheikh “stood by and did nothing” as his mother fled the house and called her daughter, who contacted the police.
During the incident, Sheikh also caused damage to a parked car nearby.
The court heard that Sheikh frequently asked his mother for money to support his drug addiction, sometimes between £20 and £50 daily.
When police apprehended him, he was in an agitated state.
His mother was taken to hospital, and Sheikh, who had previously trained as an amateur boxer, denied all charges during police interviews.
A statement read in court from his mother detailed her years of effort to support him, describing her constant fear and the pressure she faced.
She believed he thought she had disposed of a significant amount of cannabis during the incident.
Sheikh pleaded guilty to charges including causing grievous bodily harm with intent, intentional strangulation, making threats to kill, controlling dogs dangerously out of control, and criminal damage.
The court was told that Sheikh struggles with drug addiction and mental health issues.
His solicitor stated that he had “insight and remorse” and that his behavior is influenced by past experiences and substance abuse.
Sheikh, appearing remotely from HMP Leeds, showed remorse and had become drug-free since his detention.
