UK: Sikh dentist's racial attacker found guilty by court

London, Jun 27: A UK court has held a 26-year-old white supremacist guilty of attempting to murder a Sikh man in a brutal racial attack at a supermarket in Wales in which the Indian-origin dentist's hand was almost severed.

24-year-old Sarandev Bhambra, a newly qualified dentist, was shopping in a supermarket in the city of Mold, south-west Britain, when the attacker Zack Davies attacked him with a machete and hammer.

Holding Davies guilty of attempt to murder, Judge Rhys Rowlands of Mold Crown Court yesterday sent him to a high security hospital for psychiatric reports to be prepared before the court sentences him on September 11.

"I hold the view he is an incredibly dangerous young man. If it is not going to be a hospital order it will be the longest possible sentence," said the judge.

"Bhandra sustained the most dreadful life-changing injuries during a sustained racist attack on an innocent man, a member of a caring profession here in Mold carrying out work for the benefit of the community, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," the judge said.

Judge Rowlands said it was a "shocking case" of a man attacked because of his appearance, the Mirror reported.

Davies, who described ISIS fighter Jihadi John as an "inspiration", showed no emotion as the verdict was read out.

On January 14, Bhandra walked into a supermarket at lunchtime and found himself the victim of the horrifying attack which left him with severe head and back wounds and a machete slash which almost severed his left hand.

During the attack Davies was laughing and shouting "white supremacy", "this is revenge" and "this is for Lee Rigby", making a reference to the British soldier who was hacked to death on the streets of London in May 2013.

Expelled from school at 11 for taking a knife to school to attack a classmate, Davies had gone out looking for his mother's boyfriend, whom he blamed for having to leave his house, to attack him, but he could not find him.

When he failed to find him he sat for while before making his way through town where he saw Bhambra. Davies then followed him to the supermarket where he put down his rucksack, took out the hammer and machete and attacked him from behind.

Bhambra was rescued from Davies by an ex-soldier, Peter Fuller. During the trial, Davies said he had been fascinated by ISIS and its "no compromise" philosophy.

He admitted he had selected Bhambra solely because of the colour of his skin and Asian appearance. He, however, claimed he never intended to kill Bhambra when he launched the attack.

During a search at the attacker's house, items of white supremacy and Nazism were found.

PTI