Four jailed over taxi driver murder

Two 19-year-old men have been jailed for life for the racially aggravated murder of an Asian taxi driver.

Christopher Murphy must serve a minimum of 25 years in jail and Michael Hand must serve at least 21 years in prison for the murder of Mohammad Parvaiz, 41, who was ambushed and beaten to death as he responded to a fare in Huddersfield in July last year. The pair were sentenced at Leeds Crown Court. Graeme Slavin, 18, and Steven Utley, 17, who were also convicted of murder, were told they must serve a minimum of 17 years in jail for the racially aggravated murder.

Trial judge Dame Heather Steel said it was a joint attack in which they all took part, but Hand and Murphy were the ringleaders - whereas Utley and Slavin played a lesser part.

She said: "Mr Parvaiz sustained a serious head wound from which he was bleeding profusely when he was attacked from the driver's side and dragged out to be kicked and beaten to death. Violence on this scale is savage beyond belief. It is not difficult to imagine the terror that Mr Parvaiz must have experienced as he lay dying on the road. It is likely that the last words he heard were 'You f****** P*** b******'."

The judge said there were a number of aggravating features including racial abuse, the theft of the victim's watch and cash, the fact Mr Parvaiz was a public servant and the planning involved in the murder.

Speaking outside court, Mohammed Ramzan, the brother of Mr Parvaiz's wife, Naheed Kausar, said the family believed justice had been done. He said: "We are very happy with the result. Justice has been served. People have been sentenced according to the evidence. We believe the truth has come out."

Guardian

Now read this (from January 26th)...

Taxis drivers 'racially abused'

A BBC investigation has found evidence of racist abuse directed at Huddersfield taxi drivers in the area where one of their colleagues was murdered.

In July last year, Mohammad Parvaiz was beaten to death by white teenagers in a racially-aggravated attack. BBC Look North put a hidden camera into one cab driven by an Asian driver in Kirklees.

Some of the footage shows passengers threatening to destroy the taxi and "get rid of it back to the Taleban". Others said they hoped the British National Party (BNP) would get into power one day and another told the driver of how a mosque had been desecrated.

The drivers are now calling for tougher security measures to help prevent another attack. Mahmed Ravat, of the Kirklees Hackney Carriage Association, said: "I feel total disgust and something should be done immediately about this. We are doing a job and doing a very important job - we keep the night scene running. We should be at least respected for that."

The hidden camera film shows a woman describing how a mosque had been dishonoured.

She said: "I know a mosque where they put a pig's head in the place where you pray to Allah."

One man, referring to the taxi, said he would "...steal it, cut it up and get rid of it back to the Taleban".

Another said: "I hope the BNP get in one day, I'll tell you."

After his death, 3,000 of Mr Parvaiz's colleagues held a seven-hour strike demanding better protection. Three teenagers have been convicted of his murder and a fourth pleaded guilty.

BBC

Always a BNP connection somewhere...