Bristol machete attack: Two brothers jailed for 'barbaric and brutal' assault

Pedestrians flee the Tesco Extra after thinking they have been caught up in a terror attack

Two brothers have been jailed for a machete attack at a supermarket in Bristol which left another two men with severe injuries.

Razwan Hussain, 34, drove to a Tesco Extra armed with a machete and attacked the pair who had been involved in an altercation with his older brother Naveed, 36, minutes earlier.

Naveed had phoned Razwan after a fight had broken out with Daniel Ali, 27, in the Eastville branch of Tesco last August.

Zebeullam Mayakhial, 44, was acting like a “peacemaker” and attempting to break up the fight, prosecutors told Bristol Crown Court.

Naveed was floored after being punched in the torso by Mr Ali.

But after they left the store and got into Mr Mayakhial's car, Naveed followed and punched the vehicle's window, causing it to crack. Mr Mayakhial then got out and exchanged blows with Naveed.

Driving into the car park in his Mini Cooper, Razwan was travelling so fast that a pedestrian was forced to leap backwards off a zebra crossing to avoid the vehicle, the court heard.

He then leapt out of the car and swung a two foot machete at Mr Mayakhial's head, severing six veins and the bone in his left forearm which he had stretched out to defend himself.

The brothers then chased Mr Ali into the supermarket where Razwan swung the machete at him and cut his hand.

Shoppers were fled, believing they had been caught up in a terrorist attack.

Prosecutor David Scutt said people were “driving in panic” to escape the violence.

The store was then closed for the night causing an estimated £193,000 loss in revenue and employees needed counselling in the aftermath.

Mr Scutt said: "A minor but unpleasant conflict took place in the store which ended up with arrival of Razwan to support his brother in a frightening scene of bloody violence to all those carrying out their Friday night shopping. The store as a whole was evacuated. One of the reports of what might have happened was a terrorist attack.

"People were screaming running as attack developed and children were present "Customers and staff were running everywhere. One shopper said 'it was chaos'.

Charles Row, defending for Razwan, said his client had no previous convictions and the incident was “out of character”.

Mr Row added: "There's a tidal wave of support for these brothers from their community. Razwan's father was well-known and respected in that local community. Has received lifetime honorary achievement award from that community. Razwan is a loving, caring and devoted family man. This is completely out of character."

Giles Nelson, defending Naveed, told the court the brothers were provoked by threats from one of the victims on previous occasions.

He said: "This is a case of genuine remorse. There's a real sense of shame on his part. This is a case which involved a significant degree of provocation in terms of wider background and specifically the events themselves as they transpired in the shop."

Razwan pleaded guilty to charges of GBH with intent and attempted GBH with intent, while Naveed admitted charges of GBH and affray.

Razwan was jailed for 10-and-a-half years and Naveed received a two-year sentence.

Judge Julian Lambert said: "Your behaviour was shockingly out of character. The numerous references presented on behalf in the presence of so many family members and friends demonstrate that you know how to behave and how you should live your lives. You are family men who have let your families down badly with such shocking violence as you perpetrated.

"I just do not know what got into you two men that day. I suspect you simply don't know either. Your offending took place in one of the biggest and busiest supermarkets in our city. It was an ordinary Friday evening in August when a scene of medieval barbarity, brutality and armed violence swept over every day events in the supermarket.”

Additional reporting from agencies