Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Thursday 3rd April 2025, at 19:00hrs
Abdusalam Hassan, 27, has been found guilty of attempted murder after a vicious dumbbell attack left a man with life-altering injuries in Derby.
The verdict was delivered at Derby Crown Court following a three-day trial.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, at approximately 7 pm. Hassan encountered his victim at a shop near his residence on Burton Road.
Driven by what is believed to be a retaliatory motive, stemming from a previous assault, Hassan returned home, armed himself with a dumbbell, and ambushed the man on Abbey Street.
CCTV footage revealed the horrifying nature of the attack. As the victim turned into Abbey Street, Hassan struck him on the back of the head, causing him to fall.
He then proceeded to inflict 31 blows with the dumbbell, continuing the assault even as the victim lay unconscious.
The severity of the attack left the victim with critical brain injuries, initially believed to be fatal. Miraculously, he survived after emergency surgery and a prolonged hospital stay.
However, he now suffers from severe brain damage, paralysis, and requires extensive care.
During the trial, Hassan admitted to the assault but denied the charge of attempted murder.
The jury, after three hours of deliberation, found him guilty.
Detective Inspector Tony Owen, who led the investigation, described the attack as “brutal” and the CCTV footage as “among the worst” he had witnessed.
He emphasized the sustained and vicious nature of the assault, stating that Hassan’s intent to kill was clear.
“It was only through the incredible work of those officers and paramedics first on the scene, as well as the hospital staff who undertook emergency surgery, and a considerable amount of sheer luck, that he did not die,” DI Owen said.
“But the life that he now has been utterly changed, and he will live with the effects of the attack forever.”
The motive for the attack is believed to be connected to a previous assault on Hassan, for which the victim was allegedly involved.
That investigation is ongoing.
Hassan has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to be sentenced at Derby Crown Court on July 7th.
DI Owen characterized Hassan as “a dangerous individual who showed absolutely no contrition for his actions or concern for his victim.”
G2K INCIDENT WATCH 