SENTENCING STATEMENTS

On sentencing, Judge Arrol KC made the following remarks:

"Mr Majid you pled guilty to breach of the peace and a contravention of Section 17 (2) and (5) of the Firearms Act, 1968 as amended by having in your possession an imitation firearm during a crime being committed.

In addition you pled guilty to a second indictment that on 6 October 2021 at Derby Crown Court you were sentenced to a detention term being a term of three months or more but less than three years, and did before the expiry of the period of five years from the date of your release, have in your possession a firearm, namely a gas powered pellet pistol, this being a contravention of  Section 21(2) and (4) of the Firearms Act 1968, as amended.

Mr Chaudry you pled guilty to an assault with others upon Mr Hassan by striking him with a machete or similar implements to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.

All charges arose as a consequence of events on 21 March, 2023 at around 1845 hours. You were travelling in a motor vehicle which stopped at traffic lights outside the front door to the Nuffield Gym, Finnieston Street, Glasgow.

At this time a male passenger within a motor vehicle stationary at the traffic lights two cars behind your car, exited his vehicle in possession of a large sword and ran towards your vehicle.

Both of you, along with two other men exited the car. You were wearing balaclavas.  You all appeared to have weapons in your hands. You, Mr Majid were holding a gun, which you pointed at an unknown male who was running in your direction.  This caused him to run away from you. The gun was identified as a gas-powered pellet pistol and you were described as waving it in aggressive movements.

The complainer, Mr Hassan was sitting in the car between both vehicles. 

You, Mr Chaudry exited the motor vehicle in possession of a large metal object. As you did so, you were struck by the car in which Mr Hassan was the front seat passenger causing the metal object to be knocked from your hand.  At the same time, another male who had been travelling with you exited the vehicle and struck the complainer with a knife as he sat in the front passenger seat of the car.  A fourth male who had been travelling with you exited the car in possession of a baseball bat and was seen to wield the bat above his head and repeatedly strike the passenger side of the car in which Mr Hassan was a front seat passenger.   This caused him to exit the vehicle through the driver’s door. Others involved in the attack were seen to shout, act in an aggressive manner and repeatedly kick the car in which Mr Hassan was seated.

The locus was a busy road in Glasgow City Centre. I viewed CCTV and images displaying other cars with no connection to this incident. The commotion outside the gym was so frightening that it caused staff inside the gym to lock the doors to the rear of the building.  It was terrifying.

After the incident giving rise to the charges, both of you, along with three other unidentified men walked off in a southerly direction, into Nuffield Car Park. 

The following day a member of staff parked their car in the car park.  When they got out, they noticed a black gun lying on the ground. 

On examination, the firearm was identified as a black PT-85 Blowback CO2 gas powered pistol designed to discharge 4.5mm air gun pellets from a double ended rotary magazine.  It was in fair external condition, in working order and capable of discharging air gun pellets. 

You Mr Majid were sentenced on 6 October 2021 to imprisonment of 31 months and as such the incident falls within the period of five years since the date of that conviction.

Mr Hassan sustained a stab wound to his left chest wall which required three stitches and three fingers were lacerated requiring 24 stitches in total.

Innocent citizens are entitled to live their lives without being subjected to terrifying criminal behaviour being brought into their path. You scared the staff at a gym so much, they locked the doors. These are aggravating factors.

This behaviour cannot and will not be tolerated by the Courts. You have given no explanation for this utterly horrific behaviour.

I consider culpability and harm to be high. Any sentence must act as a deterrent to others contemplating instilling fear in law abiding citizens. As you were seeking to deliver a message on 21 March, 2023, the sentence I am about to impose will send a message. The message is this, the Courts will not allow people like you to cause fear in others.

You were both 24 at the date of conviction but you, Mr Majid, are 25 now. However, the Sentencing Young Persons guideline applies to both of you as you were both 24 at the date of the plea being tendered. But for this, your sentences would have been higher.

You both pled guilty at a continued preliminary hearing, the plea having been adjusted on 16 September, 2025.

I have taken into account all that has been said by each of your counsel this morning and all that is contained within the criminal justice and social work report.

Mr Majid:

You are now 25. You have one child, born in April 2025. You had a difficult and troublesome childhood. It was insecure, unsettled and the person who appears to have brought stability passed away when you were 15. All of this would have resulted in trauma.  Although I note that you now have parental support and your partner has visited you with your child since your incarceration.

The author of the criminal justice and social work report said you were not forthcoming about your reasons for being in the vehicle or why your vehicle was being targeted

You have previous convictions for violence, dishonesty, contraventions of the Misuse of Drugs Act, 1971 and possession of a knife, all occurring between 2018 and 2023.

You have been remanded in custody since 7 October 2024 and prior to this were heavily involved in substance misuse. You cite your child as motivation not to return to this life. Time will tell.

Your counsel accepts that a custodial sentence is appropriate.

The LSI-R:SV assessment places your risk of becoming involved in further generalised offending behaviour as relatively ‘high’.

In relation to the first indictment:

A cumulo sentence of 5 years 6 months imprisonment, reduced to 4 years 5 months imprisonment to take account of the timing of your plea

Second indictment:

9 months imprisonment, reduced to 7 months imprisonment

These periods will run consecutively and date from 7 October, 2024.

That is a total of 5 years imprisonment.

Mr Chaudry:

You are 24 years of age.

Your criminal justice and social enquiry report was nothing short of a pathetic attempt to distance yourself from the matters to which you pled guilty. It demonstrated little remorse. You seem to have had, and continue to have, a supportive background, excellent education and employment. Using the LSCMI risk assessment you have been assessed as having a medium level of risk and needs.

You have a record of previous convictions which extends to contraventions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 from 2021.

Your counsel quite properly recognises that having regard to the circumstances of the offence, a custodial sentence is appropriate.

Accordingly, the sentence I impose a sentence of 5 years imprisonment. I shall discount this to take account of the timing of your plea to 4 years imprisonment. It is backdated to  9 October, 2025, the date of your remand in respect of this matter.

That is all."

3 November 2025