COMPANY boss Ishmail Lorgat needed surgery to his eye after being savagely beaten by an employee for whom he was doing a favour, a court was told.

Blackburn magistrates heard that Mohammed Amjad Ali launched an unprovoked and brutal attack on his boss, who was knocked to the floor and kicked repeatedly about the head and body.

Mr Lorgat curled into a ball to try to protect himself but kept being kicked.

Ali, 31, of Peter Street, Blackburn, had pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm but had been convicted after a trial.

After the magistrates had read pre-sentence reports they ordered Ali to do 200 hours community service and pay £350 compensation to Mr Lorgat and £145 costs.

Emma Kehoe, prosecuting, said Ali had worked for Mr Lorgat for about a year.

The two had got to know each other very well and Mr Lorgat, a partner in the kitchen design and manufacturing company, had agreed to help Ali in refitting his own kitchen. On the day of the offence Ali asked if Mr Lorgat would help him to cut out some work tops.

Mr Lorgat at first said he could not because of mosque commitments but after three more calls he agreed to meet Ali at the factory later in the day.

When Mr Lorgat arrived Ali shouted at him and said he had lost faith in him.

He tried to calm him down but Ali picked up a piece of wood and Mr Lorgat felt a blow to the left of his face.

He was knocked to the floor and Ali was standing over him swearing and threatening to kill him.

Ali then began kicking Mr Lorgat repeatedly about the head and body and the attack only stopped when another man came into the factory.

Mrs Kehoe said Mr Lorgat had an operation on his eye and was still receiving treatment nearly six months after the incident.

Bashrat Ditta, defending, said his client was in the process of setting up his own business and urged the magistrates to follow the recommendation made in a pre-sentence report.

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