Attack on Kurdish asylum seeker in Croydon appears in court

Reker Ahmed

Thirteen people accused of a suspected hate attack that left a teenage asylum seeker fighting for his life in hospital will go on trial later this year.

According to the Standard’s story, the mixed-sex group – who are aged between 15 and 24 – each denied one charge of violent disorder when they appeared before Croydon Crown Court on Tuesday. Victim Reker Ahmed, a 17-year-old Kurdish Iranian living in south-east London, was chased and set upon while at a bus stop with two others in Croydon, south London, on March 31.

He was left with a fractured spine, fractured eye socket and bleed to the brain.

The case was adjourned for a further administrative hearing later this month, before being listed for trial in October.

Prosecutor Jonathan Polnay told judge Adam Hiddleston the case would likely be broken down into two separate trials. Following the attack Mohammed Qardi, 22, said he had seen Mr Ahmed a number of times at the Middle East Shisha tea house in West Croydon.

Following the attack Mohammed Qardi, 22, said he had seen Mr Ahmed a number of times at the Middle East Shisha tea house in West Croydon. He told the Standard: “He’s a quiet person, he’s not really talking to everybody. You can see people from their face – he’s not a bad guy, he’s not looking for trouble.