Sunderland racist thug attacked shop owner and friend who was ‘beaten like a slave’

Kai Lucas subjected the owner of a vape store in Sunderland and his friend to a disgraceful attack as they unloaded stock

A racist thug subjected a shop owner and his friend to a sickening attack which left one of them feeling he had been “beaten like a slave”.

Kai Lucas had been released on licence from a jail sentence for robbery when he was put in a bail hostel next to a vape shop in Sunderland.

As the shop owner was unloading stock with the help of his friend, Lucas and a group of other men were hanging around. Newcastle Crown Court heard Lucas approached them, accused them of being “illegal” and launched a shocking sustained attack which left both men needing hospital treatment.

It was on October 14 last year around 5pm that the two victims were going about their lawful business when the appalling scenes unfolded. Lucas walked up to the victims and shouted “You’re illegal, you’re doing illegal things.” When one of the men told him he owned the shop and asked how he was doing anything illegal, Lucas responded: “I’m a North East lad. This is my country, go back to your country”.

When told by the second man he was wrong, Lucas punched him to the face. As he bent over in pain, he was hit a further eight or nine times by the thug.

The shop owner, who had been on the phone to police, tried to protect his friend and shouted “stop”. Lucas then turned to the shop owner and began to hit him hard multiple times as he tried to cover his face. He said every blow was causing him pain and he was terrified

He ended up being knocked to the ground and his phone was knocked from his hand. The other men was then struck again as he turned away.

Lucas then turned back to the shop owner, who was now sitting on the ground, and pushed his face and threw something at him which hit him..

A member of the public intervened and Lucas walked back towards the group he had been with. He then raised a fist and shouted “This is my country, go back to your country”.

The shop owner was continuing to try to speak to police and Lucas then turned his attention back to him, shouting something at him and punching him hard in the face again, causing him to fall back and hit his head on a wall and the path, knocking him unconscious.

Both victims had to attend hospital for their injuries. The first victim suffered bruising and the second man had a cut to his head and hands and bruising.

The shop owner said in a statement: “Initially I was scared he would come back. Since then I’ve learned he lived at a bail hostel next to my shop. One resident said we had disrespected the male who assaulted me. I’m scared to confront abusive customers or shoplifters in case they do what he did.”

His friend said: “Things like this have never happened in my life before. I’m scared to go back to the shop, I’m scared to help my friend.

“This was a totally unexpected and an unprovoked attack. I feel like I was beaten like a slave.

“I was unable to eat for two days because of the pain. I believe this assault was purely based on my race, because I’m a different colour of skin.”

Lucas, 27, who has 51 previous convictions and had been released on licence from a 57 month sentence for robbery imposed in September 2023, pleaded guilty to two counts of racially aggravated assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was jailed for 28 months but this will run concurrent to his recall to prison on licence until January 2027, meaning he will serve no extra time.

Chronicle