Bengali boy Beaten by Pakistani Men in UK for dating Pakistani Girl

Schoolboy is 'beaten by Pakistani men for dating a girl from their family who told him "Don't mess with our blood"'

The Bengali student was taken prisoner by the Pakistani girl's uncle, before her father, brother and cousin all joined in the attack, a court heard

A 16-year-old schoolboy was subject to a beating by a group of men after he was spotted talking to a girl who was in his class, a court has heard.

The Bengali student was taken prisoner by the Pakistani girl's uncle, before her father, brother and cousin all joined in the attack, a court was told.

Preston Crown Court heard the boy was escorted to a cul-de-sac, where he was repeatedly kicked in the head, battered with weapons and told: "Don’t mess with our blood - find someone your own kind."

As the victim fought for his life onlookers - thought to include women - were heard shouting: "Kill him, kick him in the head, finish him off."

The beating continued after the attackers seized the boy's mobile phone and searched it for evidence he had been dating the girl.

She was a fellow pupil at their high school and the men found pictures of them together on the smartphone, the court was told.

The victim was eventually released when the men drove him away from the scene and dumped near a local barber's shop.

The boy, from Blackburn, Lancs, was later treated in hospital for injuries similar to those administered by a knuckleduster.

He was left with a scar to his head and is now too scared to leave home by himself.

Details of the assault emerged at Preston Crown Court where trainee accountant Khizum Baig, 29, the girl's brother, college student Saqib Mirza Baig, 29, the girl's cousin father of seven Ghazanfar Mirza, 37, the girl's uncle all of Blackburn, and taxi driver Mirza Baig, 48, of Preston, the girl's father faced jail after each pleaded guilty to affray.

The court heard the boy - who cannot be named - had been targeted after he dated a 16-year old girl from the Pakistani community in Blackburn.

The pair would secretly meet once a week and communicated mostly by mobile phone.

Ghazanfar Mirza leaving Preston Crown Court (Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

But on March 7 last year their romance was discovered when they were spotted together by the girl's uncle Ghazanfar Mirza as he drove past.

The father-of-seven turned his car around and pulled over and asked his niece to get in the car before driving off.

But after dropping the girl off he then returned to confront the boy and asked him to get in the car, the court heard.

Nicholas Flanagan prosecuting said: ''At this point the boy didn’t consider Ghanzafar to be aggressive and he seemed friendly so he got in the car.

''But once they were in the car Ghanzafar locked the doors and sped off up the road telling him ‘you better not be f**king with my niece’.

"He drove off at speed and the boy was unable to escape.

''During the journey Ghanzafar was ringing the other defendants asking them for weapons and making it plain that violence was to be perpetrated.

"He drove to a close where he and Saqib Baig live. Mirza Baig and Khizum Baig then arrived after.

''Saqib walked to the car where the window was down and demanded the boy's phone and went through his messages and his calls.

"He found images of him and the girl together. Saqib leant through the open window and punched the boy several times to the face.

''Another male and two females were seen near the car and the boy heard Ghanzafar talking to people on the phone about weapons being brought.

"Mirza Baig then arrived and punched the boy in the nose.

''There were comments of ‘finish him, kill him’.

He was repeatedly kicked to the head and body while he was on the floor. He tried to protect himself but was unable to get up.

Mr Flanagan added: "The boy is of Bengali heritage and all of the defendants are of Pakistani heritage and are all related to the girl in some way.

"The ethnicity of the boy is the background motive for the attack.

"Comments were made saying 'don’t mess with our blood’ and ‘find your own kind’.

"Both the boy and the girl were still at school and met at school and they were both young.

''The fact that the girl was in a relationship may have been a motive or added motive.

"There are honour overtones to this incident."

The court heard police tried to interview locals in the cul-de-sac but the only witness who assisted with the investigation was the victim himself.

He suffered bruising and lacerations to his ear face, lip, head and torso and at Royal Blackburn Hospital was found to have three large cuts to his head which were treated with staples.

In a statement the boy said: "I've lost my independence and I'm scared to leave home by myself.

"I've been fearful since the attack and have stopped socialising with friends.

"It's had an impact on my schooling and I am self conscious of the scar on my head which causes me pain.''

Ghanzafar also admitted false imprisonment whilst Saqib admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

Khizum Baig pleaded guilty to assault by beating.

Ghazanfar Mirza leaving Preston Crown Court (Image: Cavendish Press (Manchester) Ltd)

In mitigation for Ghazanfar defence counsel Thomas Stanway said his client was appealing his guilty plea and added: ''He categorically denies any hostility to anyone of Bengali heritage.

"He accepts driving the boy to the address, but he thought that other family members wanted to speak with him. His brother was in a relationship with a Bengali woman and he was the one to sort out issues with the family.''

For Mirza Baig, a taxi driver, Robert Elias said: "This is not a case that had racial or honour causes. Honour cases are where the family do not approve of a relationship and punish the young girl.

''This can’t be the case here because the girl was not involved. It has nothing to do with race, ethnicity or honour.

"He comes from a family of Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Hindus and they all get along.

''This relationship by the boy's own evidence was a secret one and that was the concern and dismay for this defendant. That seems to be the trigger.

"But it wasn’t a serious relationship - it wasn’t Romeo and Juliet. He was concerned for the girl and that the family had not been introduced or told about this boy."

For college student Saqib Baig, Andrew Nuttall said: ''The racial aspect as far as this defendant and his family are concerned is ridiculous as his his own brother is married to a Bengali woman himself.

"He lost his temper because he heard the victim had disrespected the girl in front of her family and he found it offensive."

For Khizum Baig, Howard Shaw said: ''He bitterly regrets getting involved and knows this was a grave error. He got swept along through loyalty to the family.''

The four men will be sentenced next week and were remanded in custody.