Man left bleeding on street after brothers attack him over £3,200 debt

Two brothers who beat up a man in the street and left him covered in blood were angry about their victim owing one of them money. Leicester Magistrates' Court heard that the victim, who was punched and hit with a heavy bag by Vijay and Viram Odedra, had taken advantage of Vijay's immigration status and refused to pay him £3,200, knowing he could not take legal action because Vijay was not meant to be working in the UK.

Leicestershire Police officers were called to Halkin Street, in Belgrave, Leicester, in July this year, where an officer found the victim badly injured. The officer spoke to the owner of a nearby garage who had been with the victim before the incident and who told the police officer what had happened in the attack.

The garage owner told the policeman: "We were talking and two men walked towards us and called him over. He walked over, talking calmly with them, but then he shouted my name and I turned around and saw them assaulting him.

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"One punched him in the face, head and chest with both fists. He was lying on the floor."

Prosecutor Peter Bettany described the victim's injuries. He said: "There was swelling to the back of his head, he had substantial amounts of blood on the side of his head, his arms and his legs. He had a deep cut to his eyebrow and the area around was very swollen."

While the victim was treated in hospital, the police officer went to arrest the brothers, who, the court was told, are both unable to work because of their immigration status. Both were interviewed and denied attacking the man, but admitted the assault after being shown the CCTV.

They both pleaded guilty to assault by beating at the magistrates' court hearing on Friday (November 15). Andrew Bolc represented both men at the hearing.

He said: "Vijay was working for the gentleman for a period of three months until January 15 this year, doing labour for which he was promised £70 a day. £1,000 was paid but £3,200 had gone unpaid so Vijay had stopped working for him.

"[The victim] was prepared to take advantage of Vijay's immigration status to exploit him.

"Then six months later, by coincidence, they came across him in the street. [Vijay] and his brother challenged [the victim] about the debt.

"Viram [Odedra] became angry because the gentleman was verbally rude to him. [Viram] grabbed him by the collar and pushed him to the floor and hit him several times. Vijay pushed him and held him down while his brother assaulted him."

The court heard that Viram, 42, of Canon Street, Belgrave, Leicester, was married with a two-year-old child, and had been jailed for 27 months in 2022 for immigration offences. He was still on post-sentence supervision when the attack happened.

The magistrates were told that Vijay Odedra, 38, of Thomasson Road, Evington, Leicester, was unmarried and had no previous convictions. Both men came to the UK about 15 years ago. They listened to the proceedings via a Gujarati interpreter.

The chairman of the bench, Vena Raja, told Vijay Odedra he would have to do a 12-month community order with 40 hours unpaid work and pay a £114 victim surcharge.

Due to his previous offence, Viram Odedra was given a higher-level community order. He will have to do 140 hours during his 12-month community order and also pay the £114 charge.

Ms Raja told Viram: "This is aggravated because you were on post-sentence supervision and the victim was hospitalised. You played a lead role in the dispute and used a heavy bag on your victim."