UK: Safraz Najeib - "Justice denied"
01 January 2002
Two years after Safraz Najeib was brutally beaten in Leeds city centre, leaving him disfigured and struggling to rebuild his life, Hull crown court has passed sentence on two Leeds United footballers and their friends who were accused of assaulting him. In March 2001 the initial trial was abandoned after a newspaper published an article, repeating the family’s belief that the attack was racially motivated. The racial motivation for the attack had been excluded from consideration at the judge's insistence, although police officers had initially logged the incident as "racist". The Najeib family and their supporters felt that the use of a racist threat ("Do you want some, Paki?") by one of the assailants should have been taken into account. While racism may not have been the only motive for the attack, the family still do not understand why it was totally excluded from both trials (see Statewatch vol 10 no 1 & 2; vol 11 no 2).
At their retrial in December 2001, the England and Leeds United defender Jonathan Woodgate was cleared of grievous bodily harm with intent but found guilty of the lesser charge of affray. He was sentenced to 100 hours of community service. His team mate, and England international, Lee Bowyer was cleared of causing grievous bodily harm. In their defence both of the footballers insisted that although they had been in the vicinity of the attack they had - separately, and at slightly different times and locations - fallen over. Because of their clumsiness, they claimed, they could not have taken part in the attack.
Woodgate's friend, Paul Clifford, was found guilty of affray and causing aggravated bodily harm and was jailed for six years for his part in the drunken attack which left Safraz with a broken nose, a fractured cheek and a fractured leg. Safraz's brother, Shazad, was knocked to the ground and beaten in the same assault. Another of Woodgate's friends, Neale Caveney, was found guilty of affray but cleared of grievous bodily harm. He also received 100 hours of community service.
The Najeib family, who have been the victims of a number of serious racist attacks and threats since the incident, have expressed anger at their treatment by the Leeds United football club. They criticise Leeds United for allowing the footballers to play after they were charged, despite calls from anti-racist groups for their suspension. The family describe the attitude of the club as "insensitive and unsympathetic." They were particularly upset by the role of the club's solicitor, Peter McCormick, who had - according to evidence from Leeds player Michael Duberry - advised him to lie in order to protect Woodgate and Bowyer.
Following the outcome the Najeib Family campaign issued a statement in which they said:
We have done everything in our power to bring those responsible for the savage attack to justice, but justice has been denied. It has always been difficult for our communities to attain justice in this country and these verdicts only serve to shatter our faith even more. However, we remain determined to bring those responsible to justice, and would say to anyone who has faced racist attacks, stand tall and fight.
"Najeib Family Campaign statement: Bowyer/Woodgate trial verdict" 14.12.01.