Five men who attacked an American student with a bottle in Commercial Road, leaving him scarred for life, were sentenced yesterday.
They were caught on CCTV attacking Francesco Hounye in shortly after midnight on June 17, 2013.
The 22-year-old student had arrived from Florida just three days earlier and had been visiting Brick Lane with a friend.
As the pair walked back to the friend’s home in Shadwell, they passed a group of men.
The group followed them, surrounding them at the junction of New Road and Commercial Road.
Mr Hounye was grabbed by one of the gang, Shelim Uddin, and when he pushed him away Shahdat Hussain grabbed him from behind.
After Mr Hounye was punched in the face and hand, Uddin picked up a bottle and smashed it against his face.
The group chased after him, pinning him to building site hoardings and punching and kicking him.
Mr Hounye was taken to hospital with deep slash wounds to his head and near his ear and a fractured left eye socket.
He needed 23 stitches to his face and was left permanently scarred.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Hounye told how he was now scared to go out on his own and had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder following the attack.
He said: “I now face the rest of my life with the permanent scarring that has been left as a result of this attack as well as the emotional distress it has caused me.”
Shelim Uddin, 21, of Romford Street, Whitechapel, was jailed for six years for grievous bodily harm with intent.
Samad Uddin, 25, of Columbia Road, Bethnal Green, was jailed for five and a half years for the same offence.
Kamrul Hussain, 23, of Stepney Way, Stepney and Masoom Rahman, 22, of Greatorex Street, Whitechapel, both admitted grievous bodily harm.
Hussain was jailed for two years and three months while Rahman received an 18 month sentence, suspended for two years, and 200 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay £600 in compensation.
Shahdat Hussain, of Malmesbury Terrace, Canning Town, was sentenced to 22 months in a young offenders’ institute.
All five men admitted the offences at the start of their trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court in June.
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