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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Riot murder convictions quashed | Riot murder convictions quashed |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Three Asian men who were jailed for life for murdering a 23-year-old black man during riots in Birmingham in 2005 have had their convictions overturned. | |
| Waqar Ahmed, 28, Azhil Khan, 25 and Afzal Khan, 25, denied murdering Isiah Young-Sam during the rioting in Lozells. They were convicted in 2006. | Waqar Ahmed, 28, Azhil Khan, 25 and Afzal Khan, 25, denied murdering Isiah Young-Sam during the rioting in Lozells. They were convicted in 2006. |
| The Appeal Court judge said their convictions should be quashed because evidence was wrongly used. | The Appeal Court judge said their convictions should be quashed because evidence was wrongly used. |
| A retrial has been ordered for the men, who had denied murder. | A retrial has been ordered for the men, who had denied murder. |
| The judge at Birmingham Crown Court in May 2006 had told the men they would serve a minimum of 25 years. | The judge at Birmingham Crown Court in May 2006 had told the men they would serve a minimum of 25 years. |
| Secret recording | |
| During the rioting, which involved youths from the black and Asian communities, several people were assaulted and shops were looted. | During the rioting, which involved youths from the black and Asian communities, several people were assaulted and shops were looted. |
| Mr Young-Sam was stabbed to death during the riots. | Mr Young-Sam was stabbed to death during the riots. |
| The three men convicted of his murder had always maintained that a fourth man was to blame. | The three men convicted of his murder had always maintained that a fourth man was to blame. |
| The Court of Appeal quashed their convictions saying a secret recording of one of the men encouraging another man to confess was not disclosed to the defence. | The Court of Appeal quashed their convictions saying a secret recording of one of the men encouraging another man to confess was not disclosed to the defence. |
| The judges said this meant the conviction of this man was unsafe and consequently those of the other two men. | The judges said this meant the conviction of this man was unsafe and consequently those of the other two men. |