Demonstration Update:

One month ago, former doorman, Shamas Ahmad, was sentenced to five years in prison for Grievous Bodily Harm (GBH) yet his family continue in their fight to appeal the conviction.

On Thursday 8th May, a large group of the 24-year-old’s friends and family held a peaceful protest outside Leeds Crown Court.
Shamas was arrested last year after he was involved in an altercation with a small group who had been ‘causing disruption’ at Leeds’ Bierkeller venue during a night out.

After trying to calm them down, Shamas was allegedly attacked by the group, and in response allegedly hit one of them over the head with a glass four times.

PROTEST: Demonstrators gathered outside Leeds Crown Court earlier this week in support of Shamas Ahmad

Demonstrators argue that the former doorman and Sainsbury’s employee was simply acting in ‘self-defence’ yet he was handed the lengthy prison sentence following his court appearance on the 11th April.

Since then, the family have already held one protest outside the solicitors in Dewsbury which represented Shamas, with this latest demonstration continuing the appeal.

Shamas’ father, Mukhtar Ahmad, remains adamant that his son is innocent and explained why the latest protest was being held outside the Leeds court.

He said: “The main reason we were demonstrating outside the court was to make people aware that, if you are to go in there, you are fully prepared with your defence and a dedicated solicitor.

“We need to highlight the injustice of Shamas and we will be doing some sort of action every week until my son is out.

“He was made out to be a hooligan in court but that is just not him. He has worked in customer service all his life and it is just beyond my comprehension how the whole legal system has let him down here.”

The family have now received the transcripts from court and have handed them over to a new solicitor to see if there is the chance of an appeal.

Mr Ahmad added: “We are very optimistic that a ground for appeals will be found from the court’s transcript, and we will then just take it from there.”