A teenager has been found guilty of murder over a knife attack in which the victim bled to death.
Terrance Carlos (19) was yesterday convicted unanimously by a jury of murdering 36-year-old Nazir Taj Sheikh during a street robbery in Highfields, Leicester.
Two other men – Shafee Shabbaz (19) and Joshua Goffe (20) – were both convicted of manslaughter, on majority verdicts of 10-2 and 11-1 respectively.
All three were found guilty of conspiracy to rob.
Mr Sheikh, of Ethel Road, North Evington, died in hospital from blood loss in the early hours of March 9 last year, the day after he was stabbed in the leg in St Saviour's Road.
His sister, Sahara Sheikh, in a statement read out at Leicester Crown Court, said: "Any sentence won't bring Nazir back, but it is hoped it will keep them from committing such a crime again – and send a message to those that carry knives of the consequences.
"This message can hopefully help to save lives and keep lives from being torn apart.
"We want justice for Nazir and we don't wish for another family to go through the same heartache and pain we're suffering."
All the defendants had denied charges of murder and conspiracy to rob, and declined to give evidence at the trial.
The jury had spent 21 hours deliberating since Thursday.
After the verdicts yesterday afternoon, Carlos, Shabbaz and Goffe were remanded back into custody to await sentencing in June.
Carlos, of St Peter's Road, Highfields, faces a life sentence. Shabbaz, of Melbourne Road, Highfields, and Joshua Goffe, formerly of Kirk Lodge hostel, London Road, Stoneygate, will now be assessed to find out how dangerous they are considered to be.
High Court Judge Mrs Justice Macur commended Mr Sheikh's family for remaining "calm and dignified" throughout the trial, which coincided with the anniversary of his death.
During the trial, Gregory Dickinson QC, prosecuting, said there was a background of drugs to the case.
He claimed that before the stabbing, the defendants rang a drug dealer who then telephoned Mr Sheikh – who went to St Saviour's Road.
Mr Dickinson said: "The defendants' purpose wasn't to buy drugs, but to rob and attack the person who turned up. As it happened that person was Nazir Sheikh."
He said it was probably Carlos, of St Peter's Road, Highfields, who stabbed the alleged victim – as he had become concerned about blood on his clothes when he knew the victim had died.
All three fled Leicester, but Carlos stayed away for the longest time. He was eventually arrested in Margate on the south coast.
Defence barristers argued there were no witnesses to the incident and they could not be sure who had a knife and if anyone else knew of its existence.
Shabbaz claimed, in interview, that he played no part, simply dropping Carlos and Goffe off in Highfields and waiting in his car for them to return. They later told him someone had been stabbed and had bled "like a tap."
Carlos and Goffe gave "no comment" in police interviews.
After the verdicts, Detective Superintendent Craig Moore, said: "This has been a difficult time for Nazir's family. I hope these verdicts help them to move on with their lives.
"Knife crime is extremely rare in the county, but that doesn't mean we ignore the fact that some people do carry knifes or bladed weapons around with the intention of causing some serious harm."
 |  |
Peter Beardsley TV ratings Alexander McCall Smith Opera Financial sector Allen Stanford
No comments:
Post a Comment