A man who sells houses was put in jail for hurting two gay men who were holding hands in Birmingham. Usman Murtza, standing near his fancy car, confronted John-Paul Kesseler and Anthony Smith outside a bar in October 2021.
He said mean things to them and then hit Mr. Kesseler with a glass bottle, causing a bad cut. After that, he threatened them with a metal bar until other people stepped in to stop him. This horrible attack made many people angry at that time. It was one of several similar incidents that led to BirminghamLive starting a campaign called HandsNotHate to support the LGBT+ community.
In a statement, Mr. Kesseler, who is a student, said he is still angry about the attack because it happened just because they are gay. He called Murtza an ignorant person who hates gay people and said the look on his face during the attack showed pure hatred.
Murtza, from Victoria Road, Tipton, said he was really sorry and ashamed. He used to be a robber but became a successful businessman and is now married with a child. He told the court that he has gay friends and understands the hostility they face because he also faces hostility as an Asian person.
Earlier this year, he stopped his trial and admitted that he hurt the two men. On Friday, July 21, he was sentenced to 16 months in jail. The judge decided not to suspend the sentence because of the homophobic nature of the attack.
The attack was caught on camera and happened at 5:13 am on October 10, 2021. Mr. Kesseler and Mr. Smith were walking to a hotel after being in Birmingham’s Gay Village. Murtza confronted them next to his car and asked why they were holding hands.
When they ignored him, he got aggressive, threw a bottle at Mr. Kesseler, and hit both men with a pole. Thankfully, other people came to help, and Murtza drove away. Mr. Kesseler had to go to the hospital for the cut above his eye and was left with a scar.
Mr. Kesseler said he tried to be strong after the attack, but he started going out too much to cope and drank a lot of alcohol. The attack also affected his studies. He said he’s angry that someone could spread hate because of their ignorance.
Mr. Smith said he now feels unsafe holding hands with his partner in public or leaving gay bars and clubs in Birmingham. Murtza has been in trouble with the law before for harassment, handling stolen goods, and robbery. At first, he denied hurting the men and said it was self-defense, but later he changed his plea.
In a letter, Murtza apologized to the two men for his stupid and dangerous behavior. He’s not proud of what he did and is deeply sorry and ashamed.
Murtza’s lawyer said the attack was out of character for him, and he’s sorry for being hostile to the men because of their sexual orientation. The lawyer also mentioned that being Asian in this world can lead to hostility, and Murtza understands that too well.
