Couple suffer unprovoked homophobic attack while holding hands in public for the first time

The boss of an international headhunting firm suffered a vicious homophobic attack while walking home with his partner from a night out in central London.

Sam Martin, 32, and his 27-year-old partner Tom Davies were subjected to a torrent of abuse from a stranger as they made their way home from a night out in Soho.

It worker Faisal Ahmed, 32, shouted "you f****** gay boy" at the couple, who were holding each other's hands in public for the first time.

Ahmed, who had been on an alcohol "binge" at the time of the attack, grabbed Mr Martin by the throat, punched him in the back of the neck and placed him in a headlock before dragging him onto the ground on Huntley Street in central London.

He was handed 20 weeks in jail with 10 weeks to be served in prison and the rest served in the community on licence after the attack on November 19 last year.

Mr Martin, a CEO of a global recruitment firm, who was treated in hospital for injuries to his neck, told the Standard of his "relief" at seeing their attacker jailed.

He said: "As a gay couple, the police and the justice system have supported us and that really helped given the fact that the incident made us feel more vulnerable. It has given us confidence in the system."

A victim impact statement read out in court said the assault had left him feeling "shocked, embarrassed and ashamed to be gay".

The couple, who have been together for eight months, said it was the first time they had held hands in public when they were attacked.

Prosecutor Penny Fergusson told the court: "Mr Ahmed shouted 'f****** gay boy' at Mr Martin and Mr Davies to which they turned and replied, 'what?'

"As soon as this happened, Mr Ahmed grabbed Mr Martin by the throat. He turned to leave and Mr Martin produced his mobile phone and began to record.

"Mr Ahmed then punched Mr Martin in the back of the neck, had him in a headlock and dragged him to the ground."

The couple called the police and followed Ahmed, of Eversholt Street, Fitzrovia, to a pub in Tottenham Court Road where he was arrested.

Upon his arrest, police said Ahmed had shouted: "I punched him and he f****** deserved it."

Mr Davies, an events co-ordinator, said: "We followed him on instinct because we wanted to get him arrested.

"Since it happened, we have felt really anxious.

"If I walk home from work and it's dark and I am on my own, I am so very aware."

Mr Martin added: "I just thought, I'm not going to let you get away with it.

"We wanted to make sure he didn't do it to anyone else."

Ahmed told the court that on the night of the assault he had been "on a binge" and was so drunk that he had no recollection of the incident.

Preet Sadana, mitigating, urged District Judge Julia Newton not to give him an immediate custodial sentence as he would lose his job with a London logistics firm and the ability to financially support his mother.

Sentencing, District Judge Newton, said: "This was a totally unprovoked assault. You uttered homophobic remarks and I think custody is appropriate.

"No credit can be given. You were found guilty following a trial and your punishment will be an immediate custodial sentence.

"I am sentencing you to 20 weeks in custody. You will serve half of that in prison, while the remainder will be served in the community."

He was also ordered to pay a £115 victim surcharge and handed a restraining order banning him from contacting the couple for two years.