A man accused of involvement in the murder of Keighley father-of-two Suhail Choudry has told a jury that he was not present when the fatal attack took place.
Hakeem Gulzar, 28, of Plover Street, Keighley, is one of six men standing trial at Sheffield Crown Court over the killing of Mr Choudry, who was attacked on Flasby Street shortly after 3am on February 8.
Mr Choudry suffered 52 marks and injuries, including multiple skull fractures and extensive brain injuries, after being assaulted by a group armed with metal poles and similar weapons. He died three days later at Leeds General Infirmary.
Six Men Deny Murder
The defendants are Mohammed Aliyaan Khan, Faisal Khan, Majid Hussain, Waseem Khan, Rashid Hussain and Hakeem Gulzar.
Five of the men deny murder, violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon in a public place, while Waseem Khan denies murder.
Three other men remain at large and may have left the country. They include Mohammed Safyaan Ishaq and Abbas Shazad.
The prosecution alleges that each defendant was either directly involved in the attack or assisted and encouraged those carrying it out.
Prosecution Says Gulzar Was A Driver
In his opening to the trial, prosecuting barrister John Harrison KC alleged that Rashid Hussain and Majid Hussain were organisers and were present at the scene.
Mohammed Aliyaan Khan and Faisal Khan are alleged to have been among the attackers, while Waseem Khan is said to have acted as a lookout who helped locate Mr Choudry.
The Crown alleges Gulzar was a driver who helped members of the group leave after the attack.
Prosecutors say all those involved shared an intention that Mr Choudry should be attacked and suffer really serious harm or be killed.
‘I Wasn’t There’
Giving evidence in his defence on Monday, Gulzar was asked about a police interview in which he had said the incident had nothing to do with him.
Questioned by his barrister Michael Holland KC, Gulzar said that remained the truth.
“I wasn’t there,” he told the court.
Says Friend Called Asking For Lift
Gulzar told the jury that he received a call at around 3.35am from his friend Mohammed Safyaan Ishaq, known as “Sufi”.
He said Ishaq told him he had broken down and needed to be collected from the top of Oakworth.
Gulzar drove his Audi A3 to Tim Lane, a rural road in Oakworth, where he said he picked up Ishaq, his close friend Mohammed Aliyaan Khan and a third man he did not know.
The court heard that Ishaq complained he had been expecting to be collected by Abbas Shazad, known as “Bassi”, but that Shazad had become lost.
Journey Continued Into Lancashire
Gulzar said a Volkswagen later passed his Audi and that Ishaq told him Shazad was inside.
He said he was then told simply to continue driving.
According to Gulzar, the journey unexpectedly continued across the county border into Nelson and then Burnley.
During the drive, he said Ishaq mentioned having been in a fight and damaging cars, but Gulzar told the court he did not understand that to be connected to anything as serious as murder.
He described Ishaq as calm and said there was no indication to him at the time that a killing had taken place.
Gulzar Says He Was Reluctant To Continue
Gulzar told the court he did not want to drive into Lancashire but eventually did so after being pressured by Ishaq.
After travelling through Lancashire, he drove back towards Yorkshire.
He said his Audi then began juddering on the Keighley Bypass before breaking down.
According to Gulzar, Ishaq contacted Shazad, who then collected the group in a silver estate car.
Gulzar said the passengers were cramped into the rear seats and that Ishaq was dropped off first before Gulzar himself was taken home at around 7am.
‘I Started To Get Scared’
Gulzar said he did not learn of Mr Choudry’s death until after waking later that day.
He told the court that he became increasingly concerned when social media discussion began linking Ishaq to the killing.
“I started to get scared,” he said.
He told the jury that he began thinking about the fact he had given Ishaq a lift and became worried about what he may have been drawn into.
No Scientific Evidence, Defence Says
Mr Holland told the jury that there was no scientific evidence connecting Gulzar to the scene of the attack.
Gulzar was also questioned about why he largely answered “no comment” during police interviews.
He said he had been frightened for the safety of his family and feared they could be targeted if he gave a statement.
He said threats had already been made and that further incidents occurred afterwards.
Audi Sold Before Arrest
Gulzar told the court that he abandoned his Audi A3 in Bingley but later sold it before his arrest in the early hours of February 21.
He said he did so because he was scared and did not want anyone to think he was involved in what had happened.
Gulzar told the jury he wanted to distance himself from Ishaq and any connection with the events surrounding Mr Choudry’s death.
Denies Planning Or Assisting Attack
Mr Holland asked Gulzar directly whether he had any role in planning an attack on Mr Choudry.
Gulzar replied: “No, I did not.”
He was also asked whether, other than travelling to Tim Lane to give Ishaq a lift, he had any active involvement in the events.
Again, Gulzar replied: “No, I did not.”
The trial continues.
