This is the face of fear.

The face of a man who believed he was about to die.

Pictured above is Amjad Khan the brave shop assistant who was brutally beaten by a group of thugs in the middle of Navan last Sunday night,15th January ’23.

Speaking exclusively to Meath Live the native of Pakistan recalled the horrific incident, saying, ‘This is happening to us all the time, all the time, this is not the first time.

‘On Sunday I could see them hanging around the street from six o clock on so I was very concerned from that stage,

‘After a couple of hours they targeted our customers, they began shouting at them and intimidating them as they went in and out of the shop, and they were roaring in at me calling me a Paki b*****d they were clearly drunk and one of them was still carrying a full bottle of vodka so I was worried he would use that as a weapon.

‘I am not sure if they used the bottle to do it or not but the shop window was smashed and they came in and started throwing food items all around the shop.

”I asked them to stop behaving in that way and they came at me I was knocked to the ground and they started kicking me on the back, the face and the head, I was terrified I was going to die, there were three of them in the group two guys and a girl

‘I don’t know how long they were beating me but it seemed to go on forever, and it was only when they stopped that I managed to call the guards.

‘I was brought to hospital and detained overnight, I had a CT scan on Monday and they discharged me and said they would send on the results.

‘I haven’t felt up to going back to work yet but maybe over the weekend I will, I am still pretty badly shaken up but I won’t let thugs stop me earning a living.’

Shop manager Ali Khan is also determined to keep the business open.

He said,’ After this attack I was thinking close the business, get out and move on, absolutely I was but the next day the amount of people we know from Navan that called in and said they were supporting us made me change my mind they really encouraged me to stay open.

‘We are nearly three years here and we are attacked regularly but I understand that can happen anywhere.

‘To be honest I was shocked at the amount of people who came in on the Monday, a lot who were not our customers, and said, ‘Look we are with you on this’, that made my mind up to stay.’

A Garda spokesperson said, ‘ Gardaí attended the scene of a public order incident at a business premises in Navan, Co. Meath, at approximately 9.25 pm on Sunday the 15th January 2023.

‘A male was injured during the course of the incident and taken to hospital by Ambulance for treatment of his injuries which are understood to be non-life threatening.

‘The window of the business premises was damaged during the course of the incident.

‘A man (20s) was arrested and subsequently charged in relation to the incident. He is due to appear before Trim District Court on 24th January 2023.’