Two students have been cleared of a savage revenge attack on a fellow student, who needed 51 stitches.

Kingston University students Jagdeep Grewal, 22, from Isleworth, and Sumit Selli, 22, from Hayes, were on trial at Kingston Crown Court this week, after pleading not guilty to unlawful wounding and wounding with intent.

The court had heard how Sharif Alturaihi needed 51 stitches after being attacked by a 15-strong gang, carrying knives and baseball bats, at midnight on May 9 of last year.

He had been leaving the university library at the Kingston Hill campus to get a book from his car.

Mr Grewal, a Sikh, was said to have launched a “savage attack” on Mr Althuraihi as payback for being verbally and racially abused by a gang of youths on the previous night.

However, the defence argued Mr Alturaihi's identification of Mr Grewal was flawed and based purely on the fact he had seen him during the previous incident.

The defence added Mr Grewal’s character did not fit the bill of a violent offender, having proven to be an excellent student who made friends with people from various races and religions.

The defence said: “[Mr Alturaihi] says the attack group consisted of 20 to 30 Sikh men, but we know from having seen the CCTV evidence that Mr Grewal was with Mr Satnam Gill and two other young men.

“We also know there were other Sikhs there, a large number of them.

“Who is to say that they were not the perpetrators?”

Mr Grewal and Mr Selli were cleared of the charges as the Hounslow and Brentford Times went to press yesterday.

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