Five men have been convicted of murder after a father was fatally stabbed following a funeral as an ongoing feud between families erupted into violence.
Haji Choudhary Rab Nawaz had attended a funeral at a mosque – along with his brother – near Durbar Avenue, Coventry, on 2 October last year.
Afterwards they were followed to their nearby parked car by a group – armed with weapons – and they were both stabbed.
An attempt was made to drive off but the pair only managed a short distance before seeking help back inside the mosque.
Mr Nawaz, aged 52, sustained serious chest injuries and he sadly died a short time after arriving at hospital. His brother fortunately suffered injuries which were not life-threatening.
The group – consisting of Adam Razaaq, Faisal Mohammed, Hasnian Razaaq, Hasham Razaaq and Jenaid Mahmood – targeted the two men after seeing them at the funeral.
The car was smashed up following the stabbings and as part of our enquiries, police established there was ongoing animosity between two closely-linked families.
Police evidence presented at court was that although Mohammed stabbed Mr Nawaz and Adam Razaaq the other man, all five were jointly involved in the violence which tragically culminated in the death.
After the incident all five quickly fled to different parts of the country but officers were able to quickly identify them as suspects and all were arrested within nine days of the killing.
Officers used extensive CCTV, mobile phone records and forensics to link them to the tragic murder and they were convicted following a seven–week trial at Warwick Crown Court.
The following were also convicted of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon and will be sentenced at a later date:
Adam Razaaq, 21, of Long Lane, Halesowen
Faisal Mohammed, 30, of South Road, Birmingham
Hasnian Razaaq, 24, of Long Lane, Halesowen
Hasham Razaaq, 23, of Long Lane, Halesowen
Jenaid Mahmood, 19, of Markby Road, Birmingham
Detective Inspector Nick Barnes, from our homicide unit, said: “This was excessive violence which tragically led to the death of a much-loved father.
“These five men acted together and it seems to have stemmed from an ongoing feud between two families.
“It is yet another example of the awful consequences of carrying knives in public places.
“I am grateful to the jury who spent several weeks paying close attention to the evidence, and were clearly unconvinced by the web of lies from those defendants who decided to give evidence.
“Although nothing can sadly ever bring Mr Nawaz back, we hope these convictions will bring some sense of justice for those who knew him.”