Asylum seeker skips sentencing to eat fish and chips, case adjourned

A 24-year-old asylum seeker identified as Shkar Jamal did not attend a scheduled sentencing at Poole Magistrates' Court, where he faced charges of threatening a man with an offensive weapon—a snooker cue—near a migrant hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset. The hearing was due to be called at 12:30 p.m. on May 6. Jamal, who was living in the Britannia Hotel, one of three migrant hotels in Bournemouth, was nowhere to be found in the public lobby or elsewhere on site when his case was called. A search party, including his defence solicitor, combed the building, but there was no sign of him for about 15 minutes until he appeared outside on a bench, eating fish and chips that are believed to have been bought from Parkway Fish Bar. When Jamal re-entered the building, another case had been called and the magistrates broke for lunch. Jamal was allowed to leave court on bail, with his fate delayed until the end of October.

The court noted a backlog of cases from the morning, and Jamal's sentencing was adjourned at 4:30 p.m. The language barrier was addressed by booking an interpreter who speaks Kurdish Sorani, the language spoken in parts of Iraq or Kurdistan. The matter remains scheduled for a future hearing, with proceedings continuing as authorities work through the backlog. At a previous hearing, Jamal admitted threatening Sherwan Abdalrahman with an offensive weapon, namely a snooker cue, in a public place on Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth. That prior case was adjourned until October 24.

Jamal is described as 24 years old and was living in the Britannia Hotel, which police and local authorities have used as one of several migrant hotels in the area to house asylum seekers. The case against him is being handled by Poole Magistrates' Court, with scheduling affected by court backlogs and the need for interpreter services. While the incident took place on a public street near the migrant hotel, prosecutors have pursued the matter through the criminal courts, and the result of the adjourned sentencing will determine any further penalties or conditions.

The evolving situation highlights ongoing tensions surrounding asylum housing and security in coastal towns like Bournemouth, where multiple migrant hotels have become focal points for residents and authorities alike. Local officials have stressed the importance of orderly proceedings and timely hearings, even as courts contend with backlog that can delay justice for defendants and victims alike. Jamal's case remains pending, with a new hearing date to be determined after the October window, as prosecutors and defense counsel navigate the next steps in the legal process.