Bolton man GUILTY of manslaughter after Bury stabbing

Mohammed Afzal, known to his loved ones as Isa, died after a violent incident outside Power League on Market Street, Bury on August 1 last year.

A trial at Manchester Crown Court this week found Abbas Hussain, 19, Mohammed Rayhan, also 19, and Biryan Ak, 20 all not guilty of murdering Mr Afzal.

But Hussain, formerly of Bolton and now of Prestwich, was convicted of manslaughter for his part in Mr Afzal’s death.

The trial took place at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Anthony Moss)

During the trial opening, Jamie Hamilton KC, prosecuting, said: “The law and common sense say that people are entitled to defend themselves.

“We make it clear that Isa Afzal would have found himself in the dock of a criminal court for his conduct up to the point that he ran away.

“But both law and common sense say that defending yourself or others is not an excuse for any and all violence.”

During the trial, the three men had argued that they were defending themselves from Mr Afzal after he and another man in balaclavas emerged from a car.

When interviewed by police after his arrest, Hussein gave no comment but gave a prepared statement.

His statement said that Mr Afzal had launched a violent attack on him, but accepted he had stabbed the 19-year-old several times.

At the opening of the trial, Mr Hamilton said that Mr Afzal and his friends had followed a grey Corsa to the Power League complex and that he said he would “smash the guy’s car up.”

Mr Hamilton said that on arriving at the Power League, Mr Afzal then got out of his car and approached it with a baseball bat in his hand and opened the door.

This then started the incident that ended with Mr Afzal being fatally stabbed.

Hussain, formerly of Bolton, now of Windsor Crescent, Prestwich, was found not guilty of murder but convicted of manslaughter and of possession of a bladed article.

Mr Ak, of Norman Grove, Longsight, was found not guilty of murder, while Mr Rayhan, of Chauncy Road, Failsworth, was acquitted of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

The court will set a date for Hussein to be sentenced at a later date.