IN THE NEWS
TWO MEN JAILED FOR THE BRUTAL MURDER OF UBER DRIVER, ALI ASGHAR, IN ROCHDALE
On Monday, 23 May, Connor McPart- land, 20, and Martin Treacy, 18, were jailed for life after killing ‘dearly loved’ cabbie Ali Asghar in the street. The Manchester Evening News reports that Mr Asghar, described as a ‘true gentleman’, had picked up the friends in Oldham town centre before taking them to Rochdale where they planned to meet some girls and then head to a Halloween party. Treacy started eating a chicken burger and chips in Mr Asghar’s new Mercedes. Mr Asghar pulled over on Queensway after Treacy refused to stop eating, Manchester Crown Court heard. Then Mr Asghar was brutally attacked by the pair, being punched and kicked to the head. He was pushed over and hit his head on the wheel of his own car, and died two weeks later. A judge said Mr Ali was ‘in no way to blame’. Earlier in the journey, in the early hours of October 30 last year, there had been a mix-up about where the pair wanted to be taken after McPartland made a spelling error on the Uber app. “Ali Asghar was 39-years-old when he had the misfor- tune to meet you two, a pair of drunken and entitled louts,” Judge Alan Conrad QC told the killers. “He was a hardworking and decent man, carrying out a valuable public service to provide for his family. By your drunken violence over the period of a few minutes you have ruined your lives, but that is as
22
nothing in comparison with the dam- age you have done to others by your savage and brutal behaviour.” Mr Asghar’s brother Azhar Ali said his sibling’s face was ‘unrecognisable’ when he went to visit him in hospital. He only realised it was his brother on a stretcher after recognising his shoes. Mr Ali told of the devastation that his sibling’s death has caused to their family in the UK and in their native Pakistan. He revealed he couldn’t bear to tell their mother in Pakistan of her son’s death and lied to her at first. He waited until weeks later to reveal the news, when his body was flown to Pakistan. A ‘huge part’ of their mother died with her son, said Mr Ali. Addressing his brother’s killers, Mr Ali said: “How could anybody do this to an innocent person for something that was a mistake made by the attackers themselves? He sustained so many injuries as a result of the attack and then they left him there to die like his life had no meaning at all. “I am totally broken and will never be able to get those images out of my head. My family and I want justice for Ali’s untimely death, we miss him beyond comprehension.” McPartland and Treacy, who both had no previous convictions, will be in their 30s when they are considered for release. McPartland will serve a minimum of 14-and-a-half years, and Treacy a minimum of 13-and-a-half years.
Mr Asghar was one of six children, and was born in Pakistan. He studied there and set up a computer business before moving to the UK about a decade ago to support his family. Mr Asghar had jobs delivering leaflets and a stint in McDonald’s before finding work as a taxi driver. His brother said he worked ‘insane’
hours, often only sleeping for two hours in a day, to work to support himself and send money to his fami- ly in Pakistan. He bought a house in Rochdale and was able to purchase a new Mercedes. “Even the day before he was assaulted, he told me, ‘I am very happy with my life, as I have man- aged to achieve all of my major goals in life and can now finally relax and take it easy’, but this was not to be.” Mr Ali, who moved to the UK in 2018 to live with his brother, added: “No human deserved to suffer and die as my brother did, and those responsible should be held to account and the severest punishment given.” McPartland and Treacy from Oldham, were both found guilty of murder after a trial. Treacy had admitted manslaughter. The judge said he accepted that they had not intended to kill Mr Asghar, and that the attack was not premeditated. He also took their age into account when passing sentence. He also praised another taxi driver who tried to intervene, and gave him a £500 reward for his public spirited actions. After the hearing, Senior Investigat- ing Officer Phil Reade, of GMPs Public Protection and Serious Crime Division, said: “The senseless actions of Treacy and McPartland that morning were utterly despicable and led to a family losing a much loved son and brother. These two men are clearly violent individuals and I am relieved that they are now off our streets and have time to think about their actions and the hurt and sorrow they have caused.”
JUNE 2022
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
