‘Dangerous’ criminal threatened to cut off vulnerable man’s fingers

A “DANGEROUS” criminal has been jailed for nine years for a string of offenses committed in Bradford and Batley last summer.

A court heard that Ishak Ali threatened to cut off a vulnerable man’s fingers with sharp secateurs during a robbery and that his crime spree had left his victims terrified.

At a trial in August this year, a jury at Bradford Crown Court found Ali guilty of stealing just £10 and a mobile phone from the man after the 39-year-old followed his victim from a shop back to his block of flats in Batley.

Prosecutor Stephen Grattage said the complainant, who knew Ali, was surprised to see him when he returned to his apartment door, but the defendant then forced him into his house and threatened to pepper spray him.

Ali demanded £10, then grabbed the secateurs and threatened: “I’ll cut off your fingers.”

The case was heard at Bradford Crown Court

As he left with the victim’s money and cellphone, Ali threatened to kill the man and others if he called the police.

The robbery was part of a series of offenses committed by Ali in the summer of 2023 and Judge Sophie McKone concluded that due to his criminal history and the nature of recent crimes he was a “dangerous” offender and an extended sentence was necessary his case.

He must serve two-thirds of the nine-year sentence before being considered for release by the parole board, and upon his release he must serve an extended license period of three years.

Three days before the robbery, Ali had carried out what the judge called a “frenzied and brutal” attack on a man at a house in Bradford.

Judge McKone said that for some inexplicable reason Ali repeatedly used a crutch or cane to hit the man on the head and then attacked two women who tried to intervene in the violence.

The judge said Ali kicked and punched one of the women as she lay on the ground, leaving the injured man with scars on his head.

Ali admitted offenses of assault, battery and assault in relation to this incident and was sentenced to concurrent prison sentences of 32 months, nine months and two months for these offenses.

The court heard that in June 2023 a man who was attacked by Ali had to barricade himself in a shop and that in July 2023 the defendant breached a restraining order and stalked a woman by sending messages and following up on her went home.

Mr Grattage said in August 2023 Ali, who claimed to be homeless, was caught breaking into a school in Bradford but fortunately the stolen items were recovered.

After his arrest, Ali said he was “starving” and did so to get food.

Judge McKone imposed additional concurrent prison sentences for these other offenses and also imposed a 10-year restraining order banning Ali from contacting the man he attacked in the Bradford home.

She said the robbery victim has since died, but that had nothing to do with Ali’s crime.

“But it was clear, and it must have been clear to you, that he was a very vulnerable man,” the judge said.

She said Ali, formerly of Upper Road, Batley, effectively followed his target and then forced him into his home.

“This must have been an extremely frightening experience for him,” the judge said.

Judge McKone said the violence at the Bradford home must have been “absolutely terrifying” for everyone involved.

She said Ali was no stranger to the court but accepted he had endured a traumatic childhood and had tried to deal with his drug problems while in prison.