A road rage thug who smashed a motorist's face bones with a baseball bat has lost an appeal against his nine-year jail term.
Imran Rashid, 36, tailed builder Ali Yanai and subjected him to an ordeal of "bullying" driving. He then launched an attack at a roundabout which broke the victim's eye socket and cheekbone.
Rashid, from Northfield, was jailed at Birmingham Crown Court in May last year. He pleaded guilty to threatening another with an offensive weapon and damaging property, and was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was also banned from driving for six and a half years.
Judges at London's Criminal Appeal Court heard his lawyers argue that his sentence and driving ban were too tough.
The court heard Rashid began a sinister game of "cat and mouse" with his victim in December 2015. He became irate because he was delayed briefly by Mr Yanai completing a manoeuvre in his car.
He followed his victim, repeatedly blocking his way and eventually got out of his car brandishing a baseball bat.
Mr Yanai got out of his own car and managed to "usher" Rashid back to his vehicle.
But soon afterwards, as the builder waited at a roundabout, Rashid got out of his car again and approached unseen from behind.
He struck Mr Yanai a heavy blow to the side of his face with the bat through the open driver's window of his car.
He hit him several more times with the bat before Mr Yanai, who had by then got out of his car, wrested it from him and restrained him until police could arrive.
Mr Yanai had to undergo surgery to repair his facial bones and had three metal plates inserted into his cheek.
Lawyers for Rashid argued his sentence should not have been increased on the basis that the victim was "vulnerable."
The offence involved "a unique set of features which were unlikely to be repeated," the judges were told. It was also pointed out that Rashid's wife had recently told him she was divorcing him which was dismissed by the judge.
The judge, sitting with Lord Justice Simon and Judge Jeffrey Pegden QC, also dismissed the appeal against the driving ban, saying it was "right in principle".
