A homeless beggar who stabbed a Good Samaritan in the eye, blinding him, has been sentenced to just two years in prison. Meshach Harrison, 29, attacked the 25-year-old victim inside Spices takeaway in Birmingham on December 5, 2013, after the man offered to buy him food.
Harrison had repeatedly demanded cash from the victim and his friend, refusing offers of food. He followed them into the takeaway and struck the victim in the left eye with an unknown object. The victim underwent surgery but lost sight in that eye.
Harrison admitted causing grievous bodily harm at Birmingham Crown Court. The sentence has been condemned as 'appalling' by local MP Khalid Mahmood, who challenged the judge to justify it to concerned traders in the Soho Road area.
Justice Minister Lord Faulks defended the judiciary, stating that sentencing is a matter for judges based on individual case facts and guidelines. Police described the attack as a case of being 'in the wrong place at the wrong time'.
