Sri Lankan shopkeeper in UK brutally assaulted by ‘racist’ teenagers

9 March 2017 07:40 pm - 28 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Three teenagers had brutally attacked a Sri Lankan shopkeeper, repeatedly kicking him in the face and screaming ‘Stay down you dirty p***’at Norris Green in Liverpool, UK.

The Metro News on Thursday said two 16-year-olds and a 15-year-old had filmed themselves punching, kicking and screaming at 38-year-old Thirkkumaran Siththampalam.

As the victim tried to open his shop at around 8am on December 28 last year, the teenagers had confronted him with a knife, the Liverpool Echo reported.

Brandishing the weapon in his face, they had shouting at him to go home, and that UK was their country.

Mr. Siththampalam was left with a broken jaw and fractured eye sockets after the attack and had to undergo surgery for multiple fractures and have metal plates inserted into his face.

(Picture Courtesy: Liverpool Echo)

‘Distressing’ CCTV footage shown to Liverpool Crown Court showed Mr Sithrampalam trying to knock the knife away ‘with great courage’.

‘In an endeavour to show he was not cowed or intimidated by your conduct, he just continued with his work of opening the shop,’ Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said.

‘As he bent down to unlock the padlock – so when he was completely vulnerable and no threat to any of you – one of you kicked him full in the face.

‘You can see the force of that kick as he fell backwards. The other two of you quickly followed up by kicking him in the head.

‘All the while, as if this was some form of entertainment to share, with your phone one of you filmed the incident, which is disgraceful and almost the most chilling aspect of this case.’

One witness, Matthew McClaren, described how ‘it seemed that p*** was every other word’ used by the racist gang.

Nicholas Walker, prosecuting, said the victim tried telling them he was not from Pakistan, but that was ‘lost on the males, who continued with their racist abuse’.

He said: ‘[Siththampalam] described himself as a man who always supported himself and his family, but the attack made him feel like committing suicide.’

Police didn’t actually find the teens’ footage, but they did recover Snapchat conversations in which the gang planned the attack.

The three teenagers admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.

One of the 16-year-olds and the 15-year-old were given 18-month sentences, and the second 16-year-old was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution.

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Comments - 28

Jude Perera Friday, 10 March 2017 11:06 AM

These are experiences encountered by not just South Asians but all immigrants if they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The private capital driven economies are terribly failing across the world. As a result, when the citizens had to undergo hardship such as loss of jobs, low wages and inflation etc., people are mislead to believe that these disaster are due migration and ethnic groups. Therefore, the general anger is pointed towards them.

vijayafernando Monday, 13 March 2017 03:30 AM

I am afraid crimes of this sort are world wide. If humans used their brains the way bees do, we would have colonised space by now. Whereas now if someone went to space, the press will report that it was a British man and show a picture just in case there was doubt about his colour or ethnic origin !!

vijaya fernando Monday, 13 March 2017 03:23 AM

As the youth are under 18 their convictions will not be revealed for most jobs. What is frightening is that a youth is sentenced to a sentence 1/2 of that of an adult. That means an adult would have only received a 3 year sentence for an unprovoked, racially aggravated kicking which broke the man's jaw, needing him to have metal plates, probably stopped him eating for many months. 3 years imprisonment would mean serving 18 months in prison. I think it is disgusting if some in Sri Lanka would rejoice . Certainly most people in liverpool would not rejoice

Ajja Saturday, 11 March 2017 01:13 PM

They went there as refugees due to the in house trouble inflicted here but now they are been beaten by those who protected them.what a shame.......Come back to your motherland and live respectfully after all this is your motherland,as you know you are considered as third class citizen by those countries.

misnad Saturday, 11 March 2017 12:16 PM

Learn some syntax and semantics first though. Also, read up about previous incidents of racial violence in the UK before regurgitating whatever nonsense you've thought up as a response to this article.

shelly Saturday, 11 March 2017 07:46 AM

These things are now going to be something nothing in fututer.Because thanks to Muslim terrorist activities all other innocent non Muslims are also has to suffer.

iemerald Saturday, 11 March 2017 03:14 AM

grass sure is greener in someparts of the world. alas only a frog in a well will not know that

Ahmed Friday, 10 March 2017 11:11 PM

why do you think every muslim is a terrorist ? its like saying every buddhist is a terrorist just because there are some buddhist extremist groups in burma. learn to respect people

Rana Friday, 10 March 2017 05:51 PM

TNA... please protest for federal solution for UK tamils

SL Friday, 10 March 2017 04:58 PM

Ha ha.. go and seek asylum in Canada

Lord Wolfstein Friday, 10 March 2017 11:55 AM

This insane phrase: "This is my country" I have also heard in Sri Lanka from many young men who have so far sucked their country and did nothing to the benefit of the country. This type of young men can be found worldwide.

lokka Friday, 10 March 2017 11:48 AM

why you want to imagine look back 1983

Lankan Friday, 10 March 2017 11:29 AM

it did happend and happening in their own country!

mnsmart Friday, 10 March 2017 11:12 AM

could you please describe what Islamic terrorism is?

Ahmed Thursday, 09 March 2017 08:02 PM

this is not a world wonder when people who belong to the same skin colour fight each other in sri lanka. every human should equally respect each other. high population of a particular group wont give authority to disrespect other minor groups in the country

lkboy Friday, 10 March 2017 09:55 AM

Imagine if this happened in Sri Lanka....

Perumal Friday, 10 March 2017 09:29 AM

Though ashamedly, we have to admit that there are people in Sri Lanka who are happy about this beating.

sara Friday, 10 March 2017 08:35 AM

Hate much? you sound someone like visa refused by the Brits

Anya Friday, 10 March 2017 08:35 AM

Ya exactly! this was started with Islamic Terrorism. did we have such hateful atmosphere about decade ago?

George Friday, 10 March 2017 07:24 AM

This is what happens to people who leave our country.... Thinking that grass looks better than this. via DM Android App

John Friday, 10 March 2017 06:41 AM

You must be a brainless soul.It could have happened even to you.

Bingo Friday, 10 March 2017 05:24 AM

Hate much? you sound someone like visa refused by the Brits

mama Friday, 10 March 2017 04:55 AM

So my dear tamil diaspora, human right's watch or the tamil nadu politicians.... it's your chance to raise your voice on this and say UK is not a safe country for Tamils and Tamils need a separate state or village in UK.

Boonda Friday, 10 March 2017 03:29 AM

In a country like UK, it would be very difficult for them to get a decent job with a criminal record as they will learn about that in the years to come. The leniency in judgment is due to their juvenile age. But you have to blame their family structure. They must have been neglected and so no or little education and often with no money. The chances are the Lankan must have refused credit to them.

TMA Friday, 10 March 2017 02:55 AM

Trump hype in UK

dickie bird Thursday, 09 March 2017 11:02 PM

Is retribution catching up? Some one has to pay........So is it with Brexit

Dee Thursday, 09 March 2017 09:59 PM

Brexit at its best. Hope or 'immigrant' fools who voted for brexit gets their PR cancelled and sent back home.

Sylvia Haik Thursday, 09 March 2017 09:09 PM

The custodial sentences meted out to these teenagers will soon pass and it would be held as a badge of honour among their gang. They should be made to pay a substantial compensation to the victim and only then will they remember the crime they did throughout their lives.

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Sri Lankan shopkeeper in UK brutally assaulted by ‘racist’ teenagers

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