A father has been left in a coma after being battered with a brick by a thug in Birmingham.
Mahmoud Hussein came to Birmingham in search of a new life from the war-torn country of Palestine.
But a brutal attack with a brick near his home in Stechford has left the Land Rover worker with serious head injuries – and his five children without their dad for almost two weeks.
Devastated wife Eman Tahaineh has been waiting for her husband, 46, to open his eyes, as she waits at his bedside at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The maths graduate, who got a job at Land Rover to support his family, had no enemies said brother-in-law Nadel Arif.
Yet he was brutally attacked by a thug outside a shop on Stud Lane on December 20 after he had popped out to the local pharmacy.
Police are yet to make any arrests over the attack on the hard-working dad, who had previously reported concerns over anti-social behaviour, including drug taking, near his home.
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Tearful Eman said: “It’s very difficult, I’m counting the hours and minutes until he wakes up.”
Nadel added: “Most of the time she is crying, she is afraid for the future.”
Eman and Mahmoud, who have been married for 15 years, left the violence of the West Bank to move to Birmingham eight years ago.
They have fours sons and a daughter, aged from nine months to 14-years-old.
Eman, 38, broke down in tears when her brother described the kind of father Mahmoud is.
“He spent most of his time teaching his children, teaching them mathematics, he’s got hundreds of notebooks,” said Nadel.
“He told me his children are the most expensive thing he had and he was every day concerned about them.
“The children ask every day about him and we have said ‘he’s just a little bit sick’.
“His 14-year-old is still unaware about what could happen. He tells his mother, ‘I don’t like you to see me crying’.”
Mahmoud suffered a head injury, fractured jaw, a fracture above his right eye and a serious injury to his knee in the unprovoked attack.
He underwent brain surgery four days ago and is now in a critical care unit, where his condition is stable.
“The doctor said it’s different from man to man and they can’t determine what time he will wake up,’’ said Nadel. “They are trying every day but there is no result yet.”
Nadel, 48 and from Handsworth, suspects a group of men seen taking drugs at the block where the family lives were behind the attack.
He told how Mahmoud had reported problems to the police numerous times over the past last three years, but he said there were never any arrests.
“I know my brother-in-law, he is a peaceful man. From his house to his work he has no enemies at all,” he said.
“I’ve reported to the police there are no enemies, only one enemy.”
Detective Inspector Nick Dale, based in Chelmsley Wood, believes people in the neighbourhood know who was behind the attack. Officers believe one person may be behind the attack and they are keen to speak to a man, white and aged in his 20s, who was wearing a blue coat.
DI Dale said: “The level of violence shocked not only the family but officers dealing with it. We suspect that members of the community will know who committed this offence. If that’s the case then it’s likely people are keeping that information and keeping the individual away from police attention.
“This is an appeal that anybody with any information about who has done this and where they are, comes forward and speaks to police about it.
“We don’t know what the motivation for it is, it seems to be an assault that came out of the blue.”
DI Dale added: “We are aware of concerns raised by residents of anti-social behaviour with youths gathering at the block of flats, causing a nuisance and taking drugs. These concerns were being looked at by the local neighbourhood team which is working with residents to resolve the issue.
“Our records show there have been eight calls made to us by Mr Hussein since 2012 relating to concerns of drug taking at the flats.
“The serious assault on Mr Hussein was not near his home address but some distance away whilst he was on a shopping trip; there is nothing to suggest the anti-social behaviour is linked to the assault though clearly it does form part of our enquiries.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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