Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police
Headline: Man jailed for GBH in ice cream van ‘turf war’
An ice cream van driver who attacked a rival ice cream seller has been jailed.
Qelik Shiha, 33, (3.3.84) of Lily Drive, West Drayton was sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Thursday, 1 February, to 30 months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of Section 20 assault causing grievous bodily harm.
Police were called at approximately 19:20hrs on 3 April 2017 to South Close, West Drayton to reports that a man had been attacked with a shovel by another man.
Officers attended the scene and found the victim, aged in his 20s, with a large, deep laceration to his hand. An off-duty officer and a witness attempted to bandage the hand until emergency services arrived.
The victim was taken to hospital by ambulance. He underwent surgery to his hand, but has partially lost sensation in two of his fingers.
The victim told officers that he had been in his ice cream van on South Close when the suspect – who had arrived in his own ice cream van at the same time – got out of the van and told him: “This is my patch.”
The suspect – subsequently identified by police as Qelik Shiha – then punched the window of the parked ice-cream van. As the victim ran away, Shiha chased him and struck his hand with the shovel.
Shiha then drove away from the scene in his own ice cream van.
Police arrested Shiha later that evening.
Detective Constable Reda Imane, the investigating officer from Hillingdon CID, said:
“The incident flared up after two ice cream vans drove into South Close that evening at the same time. It was clearly an attempt by Shiha to intimidate a rival business.
“The vicious and unprovoked attack was witnessed by members of the public, including at least one young child, and was carried out in broad daylight. I’m very happy that we have removed this violent individual off the streets.”