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Pair convicted of killing delivery driver during pizza robbery | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Two men have been convicted of killing a Pizza Hut delivery driver in a botched robbery. | |
Ali Qasemi was delivering three pizzas, worth £50, when he was floored with a single punch and hit his head on the ground. He died two days later. | |
Joel Lawson, 25, admitted throwing the punch and pleaded guilty to robbery and manslaughter. | |
His friend Mark Lintott, 29, denied both charges but was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery following a seven-day trial at Peterborough crown court. | |
Lawson, from Norwich, told the court a group of friends had been drinking lager and using cocaine at Lintott’s flat in Peterborough. | |
Lintott phoned Pizza Hut and provided a false address in his street, hoping to snatch the pizzas without paying for them, the court heard. When 45-year-old Qasemi arrived in the early hours of Sunday, 8 May, he was attacked and the pair made off with the pizzas. | |
Lawson, describing the moment when he and Lintott arrived back at the flat with the pizzas, told the court: “Everyone was sort of laughing at the time. Someone said: ‘I can’t believe you’ve done it.’” | |
The prosecution said that although Lawson threw the punch, both he and Lintott were “equally responsible” as they hatched the plan together. | |
Qasemi’s widow, Fawzia, screamed at Lawson as he gave evidence: “Burn in hell. You’re evil.” She was pregnant with the couple’s third child when her husband was killed. | Qasemi’s widow, Fawzia, screamed at Lawson as he gave evidence: “Burn in hell. You’re evil.” She was pregnant with the couple’s third child when her husband was killed. |
Senior investigating officer DI Lucy Thomson, speaking after the hearing, said: “This was a sickening, senseless crime, which has caused misery to Mr Qasemi’s wife and her young sons. | |
“They have lost a loving, devoted husband and father; devastating their close-knit family, all for the price of three pizzas. I and my inquiry team send our deepest sympathy to Mrs Qasemi and the boys at this incredibly difficult time.” | |
The pair are due to be sentenced at Cambridge crown court on 18 November. | The pair are due to be sentenced at Cambridge crown court on 18 November. |
Karen Russell, HR chief for Pizza Hut UK, said: “We were extremely saddened by the news in May that one of our franchise staff members, Ali Qasemi, had died following an assault. | |
“Since May, we have put in place a number of measures to prevent this happening again, including a new order verification process and a review of delivery driver safety training. | |
“We have also been working closely with our franchisee to support Mr Qasemi’s family, and our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time.” | “We have also been working closely with our franchisee to support Mr Qasemi’s family, and our thoughts remain with them during this difficult time.” |