By ALISON BELLAMY
A Pakistani Christian man is recovering in hospital after a vicious assault, which left him with a broken hand and broken knee cap.
Father of six Nissar Hussain, 49, was attacked near his home at St Paul’s Road, Manningham, at around 5pm on Tuesday, and repeatedly beaten with a pickaxe handle by two men in hooded tops.
He told the Asian Sunday from his hospital bed: “I had just left the house and put up my hand to defend myself and that is when it got broken by the axe handle. These people came to do me serious harm. I’m left with a fractured hand and a fractured kneecap and I’ve had one operation, but need another.”
He was about to go and park his car at his local police station, due to ongoing problems with vandalism on his car, when two men pulled upon the other side of the road.
One beat him repeatedly with a pickaxe handle, while the other punched and kicked him.
The unprovoked attack was caught on Mr Hussain’s home CCTV. It shows the shocking extent of the assault in which he is struck 13 times over 13 seconds.
“I couldn’t see their faces. It happened so quickly that I couldn’t run. One of them immediately hit me with a pick axe. Once I fell on the floor that was it, they laid into me,” he added.
Since converting to Christianity from Islam, he claims that his life has been blighted because of his faith. He was previously forced to move from another part of Bradford to Manningham, where trouble has started again.
Police today appealed for the public’s help in finding those responsible and issued pictures of a car they are keen to trace. The incident is being treated as a hate crime and they believe it was a ‘targeted attack’.
One of the suspects is described as an Asian male, about 6ft tall and of stocky build. Both men were wearing hooded tops and tracksuit bottoms.
Detective Chief Inspector Terry Long, of Bradford District Police, said: “Our enquiries are continuing into this serious assault and we are working with Mr Hussain to address any safeguarding issues around him and his family.
“We are also asking for information about a red or maroon coloured saloon car which would have been seen in the Manningham area prior to this incident. This could possibly have been an older shape Honda Civic or a Rover 400.
“All reports of hate crime are taken seriously and West Yorkshire Police is committed to working with partners to identify and, where appropriate, prosecute those who commit such crimes to increase the confidence of victims.
“Police are aware of past matters involving Mr Hussain and a senior officer is continuing to investigate a number of allegations he has previously reported, to establish what offences have occurred.
“Work is also ongoing with a range of other partners including local councillors, to address these issues.
“Anyone with information about the vehicle or the suspects involved in this incident is asked to contact DC 6316 Pearman at Bradford District CID on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”