Tributes set to be paid to Teesside taxi driver who died a month after brutal assault
Mohammed Zabir was smashed with a bottle and kicked in the head and chest in July 2011 before dying a month later
Tributes are set to paid to a Teesside man who died from a heart attack after being brutally assaulted 15 years ago.
56 year-old Mohammed Zabir was smashed with a bottle and then brutally kicked in the head and chest by a teenager in July 2011.
The Middlesbrough taxi driver died a month later, although his family say they believe the attack eventually contributed to his death.
His nephew, Amjid Khazir, said: "He was like a second father to me. Just incredible, incredible human being who I love dearly. My uncle was a really, truly, truly special human being. He prayed his prayers, he raised his family, he looked after his nieces and nephews, he never did wrong by anyone. He wouldn't have hurt a fly, he'd do anything for anyone. You could trust him with your life. One of the most incredible people you could ever hope to meet.
"I spent a lot of time staying over in his house having sleepovers and it was very much Will Smith and Uncle Phil. I was the youngest of the four boys from his oldest son who I think he loved dearly, but he always thought 'there's something about this one we're going to have to keep a leash on him because if we don't control him you know he could get in trouble.'
"We've never been able to prove discernibly that the injuries he sustained on the night that he was attacked led to his ultimate demise. I firmly believe, because he did suffer a heart attack, that some of the injuries and especially the double fly kick that he took to his chest had a direct impact on him in terms of his passing away.
"It might sound overly dramatic, but I think he was brokenhearted because in those intervening period between the attack and his passing, he changed. You could see he'd lost his confidence. You know, he was such a good man, always smiling.
"There was family around him and you give him support and it wasn't like he was cowering at home and sitting in his house, he was out and about. But like anyone going through a situation like that, an experience like that, it is going to impact you, affect you. And six weeks later when he had his heart attack and was rushed to hospital and it was Ramadan of 2011, he tragically suffered a second major heart attack.
"He put on a brave face, he really did, but I do believe in those last six or seven weeks it was difficult for him because he couldn't defend himself, could he? This young lad struck a bottle over the back of his head, kicked him in the chest, shouted at him. Ultimately the next six weeks were difficult for him, very, very difficult."
Amjid lived next door to his uncle and tells us about a memory he said: "I think it was about mid-2000s and Liverpool were playing against Manchester United. They were 1-nil up and in the last minute they got through and they scored a second goal and I jumped up and I shouted, 'get in', dead loud and I lost my voice and my uncle runs in and he goes, 'is everything okay?' I said, 'Liverpool just got a winner against Manchester United' and he goes, 'why did you shout that loud?' I thought the house was on fire or something."
Amjid set up Media Cultured to teach businesses and schools about inclusivity.