A delivery driver who was brutally attacked in broad daylight while doing his job says public aggression is on the rise – and he now wears a bodycam as a deterrent.
Dad Steven Golding was in court this month to see shop worker Taseem Choudhury handed a suspended sentence for an assault in Chatham which left him with a broken nose, eye socket and facial fractures.
Delivery driver Steve Golding says he was attacked just for doing his job in Chatham
The clash happened after Mr Golding, 48, told Choudhury he was not permitted to carry his parcel inside a shop in Railway Street because of the company’s insurance policy.
He said Choudhury started calling him “every name under the sun” and then followed him outside and into the town using “threatening” language.
Choudhury “punched” Mr Golding as he was walking back to his vehicle, and passers-by came to his aid as he fell to the ground.
He was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital and the following day received treatment at a specialist hospital in East Grinstead, West Sussex.
Mr Golding said: “There was blood everywhere, in my eyes and my nose, I was just about conscious, but out of it.”
Mr Golding, pictured here with wife Maria, says he was off work for a month after the attack
He managed to find his phone and call his wife Maria, who was working at a nearby shop.
Mr Golding was off work for a month recovering after the attack in November 2022 and now wears a body cam as a deterrent.
The delivery driver, who works for Shakespeare Transport based in Aylesford, said: “I still have mental health issues and get worried. I’m always looking behind my back.
“I try not to work in the Chatham area.”
The couple who live in Newington, near Sittingbourne, were at Maidstone Crown Court on Thursday, November 6, when Choudhury, of The Ridgeway, Chatham, was sentenced.
The now 23-year-old was given 12 months, suspended for 18 months, and has to complete a rehabilitation course.
Choudhury was sentenced at Maidstone Crown Court. Photo: Stock
Choudhury pleaded guilty to a charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent on November 22 2022.
Mr Golding received £2,500 in compensation.
Following the sentencing, he said: “They showed a video clip and although it was three years, it all came back to me.
“He stood in the dock and didn’t look up even though he knew I was there.”
Mr Golding, who has been a delivery driver for nearly 30 years, says he’s seen an increase in aggression towards himself and his colleagues in recent years.
He added: “The majority of people are very polite. But there are some who, for no reason, take it out on us.
“We are face-to-face with the public. It’s not like you can just hang up and put the phone down.
“At the end of the day, we are just doing our job. And it’s a service that’s needed, as shown during lockdown.
“We shouldn’t have to put up with any trouble for providing a service.”
