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Eight men not guilty of Blackburn murder attempt
7:49pm Monday 21st July 2008
EIGHT people have been cleared of plotting to murder a Blackburn man.
It took the jury more than fifteen hours to reach their verdicts following a trial that had gone into its seventh week.
Cheering and clapping broke out in the public gallery at Preston Crown Court and the defendants smiled and hugged each other after the verdicts were returned.
Babar Qasam, 29, of Chestnut Walk, Yasser Khan, 24, of July Street, Blackburn, Gary Powell, 29, of Old Trafford, Manchester, Gareth Curtis, 31, of Stretford, Manchester, Ashley Duhaney, 21, of Old Trafford, Manchester, David Corbett, 22, of Timperley, Manchester, Craig Monaghan, 23, of Timperley, Manchester and Ibrahim Choudhury, 22, of Oldham, were cleared of conspiring to murder.
The judge, Mr Justice Maddison, said: "So far as this case is concerned, all the defendants are discharged".
The judge thanked the jury for the ‘careful attention’ they had given the case.
He told them "You have carried out an important public duty.
"You have had a very heavy burden of responsibility to bear, of that I and others are conscious."
They eight had been accused of plotting to murder Blackburn man Suheal Patel after the jury was told he had refused to take the blame for heroin offences.
Shots were fired at a dark grey Fiat Punto which was parked in an alleyway in Accrington Road, Blackburn, but Mr Patel had left the scene.
Mr Patel's cousin Sameer Kanwadkar, who was visiting from India, was sitting in the passenger seat of the car.
He escaped injury in the shooting which took happened at around 9pm on February 15, 2007.
After the case senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Neil Hunter said: “I am obviously disappointed with the outcome, not only for the investigation team, but for Suheal Patel and his family.
“Lancashire Constabulary remains committed to tackling gun crime and we will do all we can to bring people involved in serious and organised crime of this level to justice.”
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