A man who senselessly attacked a Sikh leader in broad daylight in the Northern Quarter, leaving him for dead, has been jailed.
Claudio Campos, 28, of Ladybarn Lane, pleaded guilty to the assault of 62-year-old Avtar Singh and has been jailed for three years.
Avtar was taken to hospital after the assault on 23 June, where he remains to this day, receiving treatment for a life-changing brain injury.
His family described him as a ‘truly brilliant, gentle and kind human being’
Horrifying new CCTV has been released, and shows Campos calmly walking away from the victim’s lifeless body.
ADVERTISEMENT
Manchester Crown Court heard on 6 October that Avtar had been walking home from work along Tib Street when Campos violently punched him to the head.
He laid unconscious in the middle of the road until a passer-by called for an ambulance.
ADVERTISEMENT
A CCTV appeal from GMP led to the arrest of Campos, where he finally admitted the assault.
Claudio Campo has been jailed following the attack on a Sikh leader. Credit: GMP
Detective Inspector Mark Astbury, of GMPs City of Manchester CID, said: “This was a horrific attack of a much loved family member and community leader which deeply shocked the public.
“I hope today’s verdict gives Mr Singh’s family some relief that the person who has harmed their husband and father has now faced justice and will be sent to prison.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I would like to thank the public for their help with our investigation and our thoughts are very much with Mr Singh, we hope he is able to return home soon”.
Avtar’s family prepared the following, heartbreaking words: “When our dad came to this country over 30 years ago, he never imagined that he would be the subject of such a heinous attack which has left him bed bound and in hospital for as long as he has been.
“As a family, we are truly heartbroken and still struggle to come to terms with the reality of his future and the truth behind this crime.
“He didn’t do anything to deserve this situation where he has permanently damaged his sight and lost complete mobility down his right side.
“Although we will never get the strong powerful man, who is the light of our lives back, we are satisfied with the result given by the court today.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Avtar is a truly brilliant, gentle and kind human being who has spent his whole life looking after everyone around him. He is a tremendous father, a hardworking husband and the most amazing priest who has served communities for generation after generation.
Campo attacking Avtar in the Northern Quarter. Credit: GMP
“This attack hasn’t just left an ever bleeding wound on our hearts, it’s scarred an entire community who knew him to be the man he was and now isn’t.
“We are grateful for the support that people have continued to provide and the justice that Greater Manchester Police have sought for our family.
“Sadly, our fight does not end today as we continue to watch Avtar fight to gain back a quality of life that will see him through recovery. We know now that we will never feel as safe as we once thought we were walking through the city centre in Manchester, given this situation was as unprovoked as it was brutal.
“Our dad came to this country to work hard and teach others to preach kindness and move past any hatred in their hearts. It’s a true shame this person left an elderly man for dead in the middle of the street.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The law has fought part of our battle today but we will never be able to piece back the strength and the happiness that our dad was so amazingly built upon.”
Featured image: GMP
News
‘Stunning’ Old Rectory pub in Stockport suffers permanent closure
Danny Jones
One of Stockport town centre’s most beautiful pub venues, The Old Rectory, has officially closed down permanently following notices about its “final stages”.
Built circa 1740, the historic space itself has been there since before the Regency period.
Stockport‘s Old Rectory pub on Churchgate has been a number of different things over the decades, and has changed hands multiple times in more recent years, but now the Greene King site has shut down, what seems like, for good.
In fact, if you look online, it is already listed as ‘permanently closed’ on Google, as does a temporary sign now stuck to the gates of their entrance, with the most recent service last week being their final one.
With the news having since been shared on the Stockport Tourism notice board on Facebook, a post from the ‘Old Rec’ team reads: “We are sad to announce that The Old Rectory will be closing its doors at the end of this month. Thank you to everyone who has visited and supported the venue over the years.”
An update has also now been shared on the official CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) website.
Issuing a statement directly to The Manc, a spokesperson for Greene King said: “Following a period of team member consultation, we can confirm that the Old Rectory has now closed.
“We are grateful to everyone who has supported the Old Rectory over the years, and we look forward to welcoming them into our other pubs in the local area soon.”
They also go on to assure that they have worked with the team members who have sadly been put out of work to try and find new positions at other locations, with the operators urging Stopfordians to try other nearby pubs such as Gardeners Arms in Offerton and the recently refurbished Carousel in Reddish.
Described by CAMRA as a “multi-roomed pub-restaurant that still maintains a country house feel with plenty of dark wood and plush décor”, not to mention praising the all-day food service and “top notch” beer selection, its heyday may have been long ago, but it’ll still be missed by regulars and natives.
It’s also worth noting that the former Hungry Horse public house also long-served as an accommodation spot, too, with Premier Inn’s ‘Stockport Central Hotel’ attached to the back of the building.
There are no updates on this front at present, and they could easily repurpose what natives have hailed as a “stunning” Georgian structure – not to mention the expansive garden grounds – but the company is also currently cutting more than 3,800 jobs as part of a wider savings strategy.
Elsewhere, as SK residents bid goodbye to one veteran pub, they’re also gearing up to welcome back another former favourite…
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few occasions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Confirming the chosen pub in a subsequent post, he said: “I asked you to choose a pub you wanted me to support. This Sunday, 4pm, I’ll be turning up at The Ape and Apple on John Dalton St, Manchester, and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend – especially with that lovely refurbished outdoor terrace space up on the first floor of the Joseph Holt watering hole.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Which ones are you calling your favourites these days?
Daisy Jackson -
7th October 2022 
