British court sentences man of Indian origin to 9 years in prison for violent attack

A man of Indian origin has been sentenced to nine years in prison by a British court after pleading guilty to a violent attack on one of his neighbors with a wooden pole.

Rishi Casseeram, 35, left his victim with multiple serious facial fractures as well as significant bruising to his back, said Bedfordshire Police, which led the investigation. The attack took place in June last year when Casseeram was arrested at his flat in Luton, East Anglia, and convicted of the crime at Luton Crown Court earlier this month.

"This was an extremely violent attack which left a truly shocking crime scene," said Detective Sergeant Bill Haigh, from Bedfordshire Police. “The victim in this case will have to live with the impact of Casseeram's actions for the rest of his life. Violent thugs like Casseeram have no place on the streets of Bedfordshire. I am glad that we managed to put him behind bars for a considerable period of time,” he said.

The court heard that the victim and Casseeram had a verbal argument a few days before the attack. On June 25, 2022, the victim returned home and saw Casseeram approaching him in his apartment and he did not close the door before forcing his way inside.

According to police, surgeons who treated the victim said his injuries were consistent with being assaulted with a blunt instrument such as a baseball bat. The victim told officers: “I can't believe it. He just kept hitting me."

Further investigation by the police revealed that Casseeram had punched another of his neighbors in the face the day before. In court, he tried to claim that in the more serious assault the victim was attacked by someone else, in the second incident he acted in self-defense. However, a jury found Casseeram guilty of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and assault in December last year.

At Luton Crown Court on July 21, Casseeram was sentenced to eight years in prison for GBH and a further year in prison for assault. The judge described Casseeram as a "dangerous" offender who will have to serve a further four years on license or supervision.