A FATHER was run over outside his shop after a simmering family feud about the running of a mosque erupted into violence in front of terrified onlookers.

Nine defendants from Redditch appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday following two incidents of disorder in Mount Pleasant in Redditch at around 9pm on May 16 last year.

Five defendants appeared in the morning and four in the afternoon to keep the two feuding families apart. All nine admitted a section four public order offence.

Christopher Lester, prosecuting, said a car driven by Nisar Afzal entered Mount Pleasant and was attacked by Aman Haseeb, Yassar Mohammed, Mohammed Shazad, Mohammed Sheraz and Mohammed Taj.

The defendants took refuge in Taj’s off-licence, closing the shutters as they were in turn attacked by Rafaqat Hussain, Shafaqat Hussain, Khalid Mahmood and Umar Mahmood who had arrived in two cars looking for Mr Afzal.

Mr Lester said of the first incident: “Exactly what happened when that car came into the road and how Mr Taj came to be involved isn’t clear. The upshot was there was a public order incident between him and the car driver and others around the car attacking it to varying degrees.”

Mr Lester said of the second incident: "There was a brief period when the shutters were pulled down in the shop and there was shouting and banging and threats."

Mr Lester said the driver, Mr Afzal, had claimed that he had been ‘blocked in by people preventing him getting away’. No weapons had been used in either incident he said.

James Tyler, for Taj, said: “He was struck by the vehicle as he was in the road outside his shop. He has provided photographs (of his injuries). It seems that was the spark.

"He was struck by a vehicle near his own businesses premises and suffered quite serious injuries."

He said his client had shown remorse and was at low risk of offending.

The driver who was alleged to have run over Taj had never been charged and no answer was provided to the court about what he had been doing at the off-licence.

John Waller, for Shazad, said: "I would ask your honour to consider he had just seen his brother run over by a vehicle.

"He's extremely sorry this happened and extremely remorseful."

The father-of-four had no criminal matters recorded against him since 2009 and suffers from high blood pressure, diabetes and arthritis.

Simon Williams, for Sheraz, described the incident as 'out of character'.

He argued that he had reacted to seeing his brother, Taj, run over. Mr Williams said his client had entered a guilty plea at the earliest available opportunity.

Trevor Meegan, for Mohammed, said his client aimed one punch at the car and did not use a weapon.

He said: "He acted on the spur of the moment."

Mr Meegan said his client's parents died within 20 days of each other and he was receiving counselling for depression.

Mohammed Riaz, for Haseeb, said he was young and had no previous convictions, arguing that he had shown 'naivety' by getting involved.

Lewis Perry, for Umar Mahmood, said his client drove to the scene and had not made any threats to kill. He admitted that witnesses would have been 'shaken and distressed' by what happened.

Richard Davenport, for Khalid Mahmood, said his client had been present but could not have got involved in the incident even if he wanted to because he had lost a leg when he was blasted with a shotgun at a wedding in Pakistan.

Aadhithya Anbahan, defending Rafaqat Hussain, said her client had been concerned for his nephew (Mr Afzal) who he thought was trapped behind the shutters of the shop.

She also said that Mr Afzal had been assaulted and required treatment in A&E for 'lacerations to his body, contusions and possible broken bones' and that Hussain had reacted to seeing an ambulance at the scene.

She said her client's father was dying and he was providing palliative care. She also represented Shafaqat Hussain and said he had not troubled the courts since 2006.

Taj, aged 36, of Salters Lane has previous convictions for dangerous driving (2004), drunk and disorderly (2012) and section four public order (2013).

Sheraz, aged 42, of Pine Tree Close has previous convictions for handling stolen goods (1998) and failing to report an accident (2003).

Mohammed, aged 39, of South Street has previous convictions for robbery (1999) for which he received a five year prison sentence, a section five public order (2006) and possession of cannabis in 2010 and 2011

Haseeb, aged 24, of Arthur Street was of previous good character.

Shazad, aged 43, of Brindley Moor Road had previous convictions for possession of cannabis and CS spray from 2009.

Rafaqat Hussain, aged 44, of Salop Road, was of previous good character.

Shafaqat Hussain, aged 40, of Salop Road had previous convictions for witness intimidation and affray (2006) for which he received a four month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.

Khalid Mahmood, aged 49, and Umar Mahmood, aged 22, both of Bromfield Road were both of previous good character.

Recorder Paul Bleasdale QC, sentencing, said: "There's plainly bad blood between the two teams. The root is some feud between your family and the other family involved in this disorder and you fell out over the running of the mosque."

He said he had 'no information' about what the feud involving the mosque was about and said he had 'reservations about the forthrightness and honesty' of the accounts given by all nine defendants.

He gave all nine defendants a conditional discharge for 18 months and ordered each to pay a £20 victim surcharge.