UK: Care worker arrested over attack as he returned from Zimbabwe

By nottinghampost.com

UNITED KINGDOM: A father of two who kicked and punched a man outside a McDonalds in Nottingham was arrested at the airport when he landed on a flight from Zimbabwe.

Nottingham Crown Court heard how it took nearly five years to bring Kudzanai Mamaningo’s case to court in part because he was out of the country.

The defendant, who turned 30 this week, was aged just 24 when he and his friends rounded on the man in Clumber Street at Christmas 2019. He claimed he was acting in self-defence and that the victim had started the argument with his cousin inside a nearby nightclub.

Now the father-of-two has been spared an immediate custodial sentence. Handing him a six-month conditional discharge, Deputy District Judge David Chidgey said: “Your lack of previous convictions demonstrate remorse and there was some degree of provocation.

“This offence is getting on for five years old and was, in part, a group attack on the victim outside a McDonalds where he was punched and kicked while he was on the ground. He received some injuries to his face and you said the victim had previously attacked your cousin inside a nightclub.

“The victim said he was repeatedly kicked and stamped on.” Denney Lau, prosecuting, said the incident took place at around 4.20am on December 28, 2019.

He said: “The victim said he was walking past McDonalds when he saw a group of males he’d had trouble with earlier that evening. He said this defendant approached him and he was taken to the ground where he was punched and kicked by members of the group.

“CCTV showed a number of people witnessing it and trying to break up the fight including security staff from McDonalds. He was interviewed and said he was acting in self-defence.

“He later left the country and was arrested when he came back into the country from Zimbabwe.” Mamaningo, of Rowan Close, Guildford, Surrey, later pleaded guilty to affray and has no previous convictions of any kind.

A co-defendant was previously dealt with and handed a suspended prison term for his involvement in the crime, the prosecutor said. Mamaningo was unrepresented at this week’s hearing in Nottingham.

He thanked the judge for not sending him to jail saying: “I live with my partner and two kids, the youngest is just one year old. I am a carer in supported living and work with people who have difficulties.”