A Birmingham patient has been found guilty of assaulting a doctor's secretary after being removed from the practice's list for aggressive behaviour.
Court proceedings
Shuaib Al-Azawe, 30, from City Road, Soho, was convicted of assault by beating and sending an offensive message following an incident at Ejaz Medical Centre on May 27 last year. Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard that Al-Azawe verbally abused the medical secretary over the phone before arriving at the centre and throwing a water bottle at her twice. He also kicked the front entrance.
Impact on victim
The victim, who was targeted in what prosecutors described as a racially motivated assault, said she was 'severely impacted, scared and embarrassed'. She suffered from disturbed sleep and periods of dread about attending work after the incident. Prosecutor Zuzanna Pogorzelska stated that the secretary felt 'targeted not just because of her job, but because of her race and ethnicity'. The court also heard that Al-Azawe recorded the incident, leaving the victim feeling humiliated.
Defence and mitigation
Defence lawyer Mr Soor told the court that Al-Azawe suffers from severe mental health difficulties, including paranoia and emotionally unstable personality disorder. 'He was in a very dark and black place,' Mr Soor said. Since the incident, Al-Azawe has undergone therapy, moved away from the area, and is now studying business at college. His lawyer said his 'life now very different' to how it was then.
Sentence
Al-Azawe was given a 12-month community order with 20 rehabilitation days to address anger management, plus 80 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £100 compensation to the victim.
