The migrant was caught on camera smashing a glass bottle against a wall before attacking the victim.
A Turkish migrant previously accused of being in a terrorist group stabbed a man with a broken bottle, yet he will not face automatic deportation. Halil Dal, 30, was caught on camera smashing the glass bottle against a wall before attacking the victim, Kashif Chugtai, with the weapon outside of the Camel nightclub in Bournemouth. Mr Chugtai suffered cuts to his back, but the court heard his injuries were not “catastrophic”.
Dal has been staying in one of the three migrant hotels in Bournemouth since leaving Turkey, where he allegedly faced persecution for his politics, the court was told. His lawyer said police had accused him of being a member of a terrorist group and tortured him, and forced him to become an informant. She said he has been suffering badly with his mental health since arriving in the UK. The migrant admitted a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was given a suspended prison sentence by magistrates in Poole.
CCTV footage of Halil Dal smashing a bottle before attacking the victim (Image: BNPS)
David Finney, prosecuting, told the court the assault happened at about 5.30am on December 14 last year. Dal was seen on CCTV removing a bottle from his pocket, smashing it against the wall and then making a “stabbing motion” with it several times.
Security staff then restrained him on the floor until the police arrived.
“He walks past the victim then turns around and walks back,” Mr Finney said. “He pulls a bottle from his pocket, smashes the bottle and makes a stabbing motion towards the victim.
“He smashes it again and makes a stabbing motion two more times. Door staff then become involved.”
The prosecutor added that Mr Finney said the victim told police he had been attacked but refused to provide an official statement.
He said: “He suffered minor lacerations to the back. Had we been provided with a statement from the victim, it’s highly likely the charges would have been more serious, but it was felt this was the only charge we could prove.
“It is use of a highly dangerous weapon, a broken bottle is the equivalent of a knife.”
He said the potential harm of it was “catastrophic”.
Dal is staying in one of the three migrant hotels in Bournemouth (Image: BNPS)
Juliet Osborne, defending, said her client had suffered trauma in Turkey. “Mr Dal is in the UK seeking asylum,” she told the court.
“He tells me he was involved in politics in Turkey. He was forced by police to become an informant, the police beat and tortured him in order to force him to do that. They raided his home and accused him of being a member of a terrorist group.His family helped him flee to the UK.
“Upon coming to the UK he has felt hopeless and suffered immeasurably with his mental health.
“This is due to the trauma he suffered in Turkey, uncertainty about his asylum position here in the UK and fear of what will happen to him should asylum be refused and he is returned to Turkey.
“He has sadly, since coming to the UK, made several attempts on his own life. This includes jumping from the fourth floor of his asylum accommodation.
“This resulted in a fractured scapula (shoulder blade) on both his arms and a ruptured lung. He is now medicated for anxiety and depression.
“Since this incident he has stopped drinking entirely and there have been no incidents since this.”
She added that Dal was “extremely remorseful” for his actions, adding: “He has told me he will never do anything like this again, he has never harmed anyone before. He is shocked and ashamed at his actions. This was a one off incident.”
Ms Osborne continued: “It is undoubtedly shocking and Mr Dal is lucky the victim was not more seriously harmed.”
Nicola Phillips, chair of the bench, said: “This was a serious incident which could have ended up in tragedy. However, we only have evidence of minor harm physically to the victim.”
Dal was given a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 18 months and a 24-week tagged curfew between 7pm and 7am.
The magistrates said they would not order a victim surcharge or costs due to Dal’s “very limited” means.
Dal, speaking through a Turkish interpreter, said: “Thank you, I will follow the rules and obey the conditions.”
