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
Co-op Live boss resigns just days before venue’s official opening
Daisy Jackson
The boss of Co-op Live, Manchester’s enormous, ground-breaking new arena, has resigned from his position just days before the venue is set to open.
The enormous music-first arena has been taking shape beside the Etihad Stadium for several years, and was due to welcome its first official audiences this week, but has been hit with last-minute challenges.
And now Co-op Live‘s boss Gary Roden has quit the mammoth project, with the news of his resignation announced late Thursday evening.
Oak View Group, which Co-op Live is part of, said in a statement that they would like to ‘thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans’.
Stepping into his shoes as interim general manager will be Rebecca Kane Burton, who previously ran the U.K.’s highest-grossing venue, London’s The O2 arena.
Gary has previously come under fire for saying that some grassroots music venues ‘poorly run’ – a statement that OVG has now distanced itself from.
A separate statement said that ‘neither Co-op Live nor Oak View Group share the sentiment expressed by former Co-op Live General Manager Gary Roden regarding the grassroots industry’.
It continued: “As OVG Chairman and CEO Tim Leiweke has repeatedly stated, Co-op Live remains committed to grassroots music in Manchester and beyond, including teaming up with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the Artist of the Month campaign, and as a founding partner of Beyond The Music.
“Co-op Live also donates over £1m a year to the Co-op Foundation to support communities and empower young people to take social action through its new Young Gamechangers fund.
“Oak View Group and Co-op Live remain happy to meet with grassroots organisations once the venue is fully operational.”
Co-op Live boss Gary Roden speaking at the launch of Co-op Live just days before he resigned. Credit: The Manc GroupInside Co-op Live in Manchester
The news of the venue’s boss stepping down comes at a time when all eyes are on Co-op Live, the opening of which has been delayed.
The venue did host a test event with Rick Astley last weekend, but even that faced difficulties, with thousands of tickets cancelled to reduce capacity just hours before showtime.
It’s now set to officially open this Saturday 27 April with a performance by rock group The Black Keys.
The full statement from OVG about Gary’s resignation said: “Gary Roden has decided to resign. We’d like to thank Gary for his help bringing the UK’s newest arena to live entertainment fans and wish him the best for the future.
“Rebecca Kane Burton has been named Interim GM, effective today. Rebecca is a seasoned veteran of venue management and live entertainment in the UK having served as VP/GM of The O2 from 2012-2016 and CEO of LW Theatres from 2016-2021.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style
Emily Sergeant
A warning has been issued to tailgaters and motorway middle lane hoggers urging them to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style.
Do you find yourself guilty of two of the biggest driving sins from time to time?
Well, according to the latest figures released by National Highways, one in three motorists have admitted to middle lane hogging in their lives, while one in four have committed acts of tailgating on some of the UK’s fastest roads.
These shocking survey findings – which were released back in early March as the Government-owned road management company launched a new campaign – showed that lane hogging was among the behaviours that are most likely to cause motorists and passengers to feel ‘frustrated’, and tailgating was most likely to cause feelings of unease, stress, and anxiety.
Nearly a third (32%) of drivers admitted to lane hogging ‘at least occasionally’ while driving on England’s motorways and major A roads, according to the survey – which polled 2,500 adults between the ages of 16-75.
On top of this, almost seven in ten adults in England (67%) said close following or tailgating is a ‘serious problem’ on these types of roads, but nearly a quarter (23%) admitted to doing it from time to time.
Tut-tut.
Tailgaters and middle lane hoggers have been warned to change their ‘dangerous’ driving style (Credit: IPTC/Ronald Hudson)
It’s these very statistics which have led National Highways to issue an urgent warning that calls on these motorists to “carefully consider” their driving habits, as “little changes can change everything”.
Lane hogging and tailgating both fall under the offence of ‘careless driving’ in England, with the country’s police forces having the power to hand out on-the-spot fines of £100 and three penalty points to those who commit such offences.
“Middle lane hogging and tailgating are far more than mere annoyances for drivers,” warned RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, adding that these actions “put everyone on the roads at risk.”
If you’re too close to the vehicle in front, you’re tailgating. This is very dangerous and could lead to a collision. Always leave at least a two-second gap and make sure you follow the advice from The Highway Code.
He continued in his reaction to the release of the latest National Highways figures: “Closely following another motorist could easily result in a serious collision should the driver ahead need to brake sharply for any reason, so the fact nearly one in four drivers admitted to doing so on some of England’s fastest and busiest roads is frightening”.
Mr Dennis said he understands that offenders “might find these habits hard to kick”, but that’s why the urgent calls for motorists to make changes are “so important”.
“By understanding that how we choose to drive affects others, we can each make a real difference to the safety of our roads,” he concluded.
Daisy Jackson -
7th October 2022 
