History > 2006 > UK > Community relations / Racism (I)

1pm

Asian trio

guilty of race riot murder

Monday May 22, 2006
Guardian Unlimited
Staff and agencies


Three young Asian men were found guilty today of murdering a black IT worker, stabbed through the heart during race riots in Birmingham last October.

The jury at Birmingham crown court convicted Waqar Ahmed, 26, Azhil Khan, 23, and 22-year-old Afzal Khan, all from the Handsworth area of Birmingham, of killing Isaiah Young-Sam on October 22.

The trio had denied murder. However, the jury, which began considering its verdict on Thursday, was told how they fled to Huddersfield hours after the attack before returning to Birmingham the next day and booking one-way flights to Pakistan. They were held during a stopover in Dubai and returned to Britain.

Mr Young-Sam, 23, had been walking through the Lozells area of Birmingham with his brother Zepheniah and two friends on the evening of October 22 when he was chased and stabbed by a gang of men wearing hooded tops and bandanas, the court was told.

The group had been taking a quiet back route to avoid violence which had broken out between the city's black and Asian communities over a rumour - widely circulated but unsubstantiated - that a West Indian girl had been raped by a group of Asian men in a shop.

The court heard how the four men appeared to have gone past the danger area when a gang of Asian men got out of a Toyota Corolla and chased them.

Mr Young-Sam was caught by the gang, who surrounded him and produced weapons from under their clothing while shouting racist abuse, the court was told. He was fatally stabbed while one of his friends, Locksley Byfield, was wounded in the buttocks.

The three defendants were also convicted of wounding Mr Byfield with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

After the verdict, Mr Young-Sam's 22-year-old sister Kavina, flanked by her parents, read a statement describing him as a "kind, fun-loving, humble, respectful and dignified young man" who lived at home and studied the Bible.

"My parents, my brother and myself will never come to terms with the vicious attack and murder of Isaiah and cannot understand how people could take the life of such an innocent young man," she added, calling the killers "animals".

During the trial, prosecutor Adrian Redgrave QC described Mr Young-Sam's murder as "a wicked killing of someone who was a total stranger to those involved in the attack".

Although it was not known which of the three defendants made the fatal wound, this was irrelevant, Mr Redgrave argued: "Not only the killer himself but anyone who helped or encouraged him may be convicted of murder."

The rumours about the rape prompted protests outside the shop where it supposedly took place, with the tension later erupting into violence in which businesses were attacked, cars set on fire and hundreds of police wearing riot gear pelted with bricks and bottles. Around 35 people needed hospital treatment.

During the trial, the prosecution stressed that the case was not linked in any way to the rape allegation, but was simply "one specific attack during the course of the rioting that ensued".

Asian trio guilty of race riot murder, G, 22.5.2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,,1780631,00.html

Police face action

over clip of black man's decapitation

Thursday May 11, 2006
Guardian
Rosie Cowan, crime correspondent


Up to 140 police officers and staff could face tough disciplinary action over the circulation of a horrific video clip showing a black man being decapitated while running from police.

Hertfordshire police launched an internal inquiry after IT monitoring caught the email with the graphic clip attached being sent round the force with comments such as "Look what happens when you run from police" allegedly added. The images, thought to originate in the United States, show the man leaping off a bridge to escape officers, and being impaled on railings and decapitated. A Hertfordshire police spokeswoman said about 300 people had received the email but the investigation was concentrating on about 140 officers and civilian staff thought to have forwarded it.

Deputy Chief Constable Simon Ash said: "This email contravenes our organisational values and standards and there is absolutely no room in this constabulary for this type of communication. There are a number of individuals who have allegedly forwarded this message to others and it is those officers and staff who are the main focus of our attention."

The video clip is the same as one that was the subject of a similar investigation within Merseyside police a couple of months ago, where 10 uniformed officers and three civilian staff were disciplined.

Hertfordshire police chiefs referred the matter to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is supervising the internal inquiry team. Representatives of the Black Police Association, the Police Federation and trade union Unison have also been consulted.

Keith Jarrett, national president of the BPA, said he was deeply disturbed at reports that supervisors had forwarded the email to junior staff. He was also worried that officers involved would not be adequately punished. The disciplinary action in Merseyside amounted to written warnings and fines, the largest of which was three days' pay - about £360.

"I hope senior officers in Hertfordshire have the guts to take a much tougher line," said Mr Jarrett. "I'm not saying people should be sacked, but certainly they should be demoted. Racism in the police has not gone away and the problem will never be solved if we have supervising officers perpetuating this type of behaviour."

    Police face action over clip of black man's decapitation, G, 11.5.2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/race/story/0,,1772041,00.html

Police hunt serial firebomber

· More attacks on Asian businesses feared
· Detectives suspect racist motive

Monday May 1, 2006
Guardian
Patrick Barkham

A serial racist firebomber who killed a shopkeeper last week in a daylight attack yards from a police station has thrown petrol bombs into two other Asian businesses and could strike again, detectives warned yesterday.

Police said they were hunting a well-built black man who has launched at least three arson attacks against small shops in south London in the past three weeks.

A senior officer at the Metropolitan police's Lambeth headquarters witnessed the latest attack, in which Khizar Hayat died after he was trapped in the fire at a Pricecutter store in Clapham Road, Kennington. The officer, who saw the arsonist from a third floor window, gave chase and helped draw up a distinctive image of the man, who is described as black, thickset and in his mid-30s.

"In each case, the shopkeepers and owners have been unable to give any motive for the attacks. In the absence of any other possible motive, I'm working on the basis that these are racially motivated attacks," said Detective Superintendent Dick Heselden, of the Metropolitan police. "We are very concerned that this individual may offend again. It's my opinion that we're dealing with a serial firebomber who is targeting small Asian businesses."

He added: "We must catch him before he commits another arson attack in which someone else may be killed."

Detectives have contacted police in Birmingham to examine whether this "very rare" type of arson attack could be connected to the race riots between black and Asian residents in Lozells Road last October, in which a black passerby was stabbed to death and dozens were injured. The disturbances began after rumours that a black teenager had been gang raped in an Asian-owned beauty salon. Mr Heselden said that at this stage there was "absolutely no reason to believe there is a connection" to events in Birmingham.

Officers have also examined whether the serial arsonist could be linked to the brutal killing of two brothers in nearby Tooting. Five people have been charged with the murder of Hayder Ali, 23, and Mohammad Ali, 24, in what was believed to be gang-related violence.

The Pricecutter shop was engulfed in flames at 3.30pm on Thursday after the arsonist was spotted lighting the top of a petrol bomb, which he threw into the shop. The senior officer who witnessed the attack ran out on to the street to give chase. But the man, described as barrel-chested with a strong jaw line and rough skin, possibly from a shaving rash, disappeared down a side street.

Detectives are confident that a "distinctive" efit does bear an accurate resemblance to the suspect, with witnesses to the two other attacks confirming its likeness to him. In the latest attack, he was wearing a navy blue long-sleeved woollen top with a broad grey band across the chest, and dark blue trousers.

Police confirmed they were linking the attack to at least two others in south London in April. The extensive fire damage to the Pricecutter shop means that the type of bomb has not yet been identified. But in both other cases, the arsonist filled a plastic drinks bottle with an accelerant, believed to be petrol, and lit a paper wick before opening the shop door and throwing the improvised bomb inside.

The first took place at a newsagent's in Tulse Hill on Friday April 14 at 1.30pm, when a petrol bomb was thrown into the premises and struck the legs of a customer, who suffered burns. No one else was injured. The second occurred at an off-licence in Portland Road, South Norwood, at 7.25am on Thursday April 20, where a lit bottle filled with petrol was thrown into the premises. Those inside managed to get out in time.

All three shops are on major roads from South Norwood into central London. Detectives believe the attacker could be local to Croydon or Lambeth.

There were four people in the Pricecutter store in Kennington at the time of the attack. While two who were able to escape through the front entrance suffered only very minor injuries, Mr Hayat, 40, of Bermondsey, south-east London, and another man tried to flee through the back door, which was locked.

Mr Hayat suffered injuries which led to his death shortly after arriving at hospital. The other Asian man remains in a critical condition in hospital.

    Police hunt serial firebomber, G, 1.5.2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,,1765136,00.html

How the killing of Christopher Alaneme is a shocking insight into racist Britain

Published: 26 April 2006
The Independent
By Jonathan Brown, Jason Bennetto and Oliver Duff

Christopher Alaneme left London 18 months ago to escape the violence of the big city and pursue a new life in a quiet coastal town. But the 18-year-old's name has become the latest addition to the growing list of victims of racist violence in Britain.

Christopher, whose parents are from Nigeria, was stabbed to death in Sheerness, Kent, apparently as he sought to protect his friend, a 14-year-old white boy. Christopher knew he would stand out as just one of a handful of black people living in the town at the mouth of the river Medway. But for the loyal band of friends, nearly all of them white, whom he came to know in this time, he stood out for entirely different reasons.

As a procession of young people came to lay floral tributes yesterday in his memory, the youngsters described him as a "role model", a "big brother" and even "an inspiration".

He met his death just before midnight on Friday at the end of a night out in Sheerness. Kent police are treating the attack on him as a racist murder. According to witnesses,he had been subjected to racist abuse and a confrontation ensued in which up to four men fought Christopher. He was stabbed several times in the body and fell to the ground on a patch of grass opposite a McDonald's restaurant.

Witnesses said blood gushed from his chest "like a water fountain". They told how a woman working at a nearby pub cradled the dying young man in her arms and tried to get him to sing to stop him from losing consciousness. Another man, a white 29-year-old, was also stabbed and seriously injured during the assault, although it is unclear whether this victim was a bystander or one of Christopher's group.

Christopher's friends say he died because he returned to the scene of a fight to save a 14-year-old white boy described by his father as "inseparable" from his black friend. Exactly what words were exchanged on Friday are the subject of a police investigation. According to Christopher'sformer girlfriend Danielle Price, his assailants had shouted "nigger". But other sources believe the exchange was less explicit. "Someone said 'he's a big one, he stands out doesn't he?' Another said something about a 'big black lad' - that was the only reference to his colour."

Police have arrested two men and have put out an appeal for the arrest of three further suspects. The three white men are understood to have been identified from surveillance cameras in Sheerness and are believed to be in hiding in London.

The father of Christopher's friend said he believed the dead man was singled out from the group of four white friends he was with because he was black.

"Why only go for Chris? Why go for the big black lad only," said the 35-year-old single parent who cannot be named for legal reasons. He described how Christopher had become part of the family sharing their home for the past 10 weeks as he looked for a job and somewhere to live. "He was a role model to my son, a gentle giant. They were inseparable. No one had a bad word to say about Chris, he came back to rescue my son - they were like brothers."

Christopher stood out from a crowd. At 6ft 4in tall he was super-fit and in every way a typical teenager. Obsessed with his Xbox, hip-hop and garage music, he loved boxing and basketball. His girlfriend, 16, said he rarely mentioned his parents.

The girl said she met Christopher two months ago and they were looking forward to starting life together once he had got himself on his feet, secured a job and found a flat of his own. "I feel completely lost without him. He was lovely, the kindest boy - like a brother to most people. I'm hoping his family will keep in touch with me."

Christopher had moved to Sheerness to be close to a friend he had made in London. Aston Miller, 18, understood him better than most. Of mixed race, he too had experienced racist abuse in the town while out with Christopher. But he insisted it was a rare occurrence and that the two were not unduly upset by their tormenters. In the worst incident the two had become involved in a fight outside a local kebab shop following taunts about Christopher's colour. Christopher was arrested and cautioned over the incident.

Christopher was born at Farnborough Hospital in Orpington, Kent, on 1 October 1987. His parents, Gabriel and Agatha Alaneme, moved from Nigeria to live in Britain in the 1970s. He had two sisters, Jane, 16, and Grace, 12, and in their early years they lived in Bromley, south-east London. His mother and several relatives visited Sheerness on Monday to look at the flowers and messages left at the scene of the stabbing. The family live in Upper Norwood, south-east London.

Christopher's mother, Agatha, who described her son as "a lovely lad", said that although she did not wish to draw a parallel with the Stephen Lawrence murder she did believe it was a racially motivated attack from what the police had told her.

In contrast to the police inquiry into the Sheerness stabbing, which last night appeared to be making rapid progress, the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation ended in abject failure. The inability to punish anyone for the racist murder of the black 18-year-old remains a source of anguish for his parents, Doreen and Neville Lawrence.

The murder, by a gang of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham, south- east London, in April 1993, marked a watershed in Britain's race relations and a low point in the reputation of the police.

It also led to a public inquiry, chaired by Sir William Macpherson of Cluny, whose report forced the police and other public bodies to change the way they deal with race issues, hate crimes and murders.

But despite the undoubted improvements made in the investigation and handling of racist crime, the number of race-hate incidents reported to the police has continued to grow. Chief constables have argued that the rise in reported racist incidents is a positive development and reflects ethnic minorities' growing confidence in the police to deal with their complaints in a sympathetic and even-handed manner. Last year there were more than 59,000 racist incidents reported to the police, a rise of 12 per cent on the previous year. But the true scale of the problem is far higher. The British Crime Survey estimates that there are more than 200,000 racially motivated incidents every year.

In Sheerness yesterday floral tributes continued to mount at the spot where Christopher fell. One message read: "Why did it have to happen? Things were always fun when Christopher was about."

Anthony Walker

Anthony Walker, 18, was murdered on 29 July last year when he was attacked with an ice axe. The killers struck as he walked his girlfriend, Louise Thompson, to a bus stop with his cousin, Marcus Binns, in Huyton, Merseyside. Anthony and his cousin were subjected to racist abuse by Michael Barton and Paul Taylor.

The three were ambushed in nearby McGoldrick Park as they tried to get away, and Taylor drove the axe into Anthony's skull. He died in hospital some hours later.

Barton, aged 17, the brother of the Manchester City footballer Joey Barton, and his cousin Taylor, aged 20, were jailed for life in December. Judge Mr Justice Leveson described their actions as a "racist attack of a type poisonous to any civilised society".

Zahid Mubarek

Zahid Mubarek, 19, was murdered by his cellmate at Feltham young offenders institution in west London on 21 March 2000, just hours before he was due to be released.

Robert Stewart, a known racist, took a table leg andbattered him over the head. Mubarek, who was in prison for stealing razors and interfering with a motor vehicle, was taken to Charing Cross Hospital, but never recovered. Stewart was jailed for life.

Michael Menson

Michael Menson died after being set on fire in a street in north London in 1997.

An initial police investigation concluded that the 30-year-old, who had a history of mental illness, set himself alight, but two people were jailed in 1999 for his murder after a fresh inquiry.

Mario Pereira was given a life sentence for murder. Harry Charalambous Constantinou was jailed for 12 years for manslaughter and perverting the course of justice.

Stephen Lawrence

Stephen Lawrence, 18, was fatally stabbednear his home in Eltham, south London, in April 1993. The A-level student's killers have not been convicted.

A 1997 inquest ruled he was "unlawfully killed in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths". The police investigation did not lead to any prosecutions.

A reinvestigation in February 1999 was equally unsuccesssful.

Sharon Bubb

Sharon Bubb, who was six months pregnant, was stabbed to death with a carpet knife by her boyfriend during an argument at their flat in Bow, east London, in July 2001. He also took the life of her unborn child.George McMaster, 27, from Paisley, told the Old Bailey that he attacked Ms Bubb, 31, "because she was black". He was jailed for life in June 2002.

Firsat Dag

Firsat Dag, a 25-year-old Kurdish asylum-seeker, was fatally stabbed in a park in Sighthill, Glasgow on 5 August 2001, while returning home from a night out with a friend.

Scott Burrell, 26, from Balornock, Glasgow, was jailed for the murder in December that year. The allegation that the murder was racially motivated was withdrawn by the prosecution during the trial.

How the killing of Christopher Alaneme is a shocking insight into racist Britain,
I, 26.4.2006,
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article360220.ece