Thursday, July 27, 2006

More Trouble At Mill

Halifax ... one of those little incidents that even makes the BBC.

BRICKS, bottles and missiles were hurled at police in a night of violence in Halifax that left one man fighting for his life.
Dozens of people were involved in the three-hour confrontation in Hopwood Lane that began at 9.30pm.
It is believed the violence was sparked after a crowd armed with knives and bats attacked four men.
Police said they were pelted with bottles and bricks as they tried to control the situation and rescue the injured men.
A 27-year-old man was today critically ill in Leeds Infirmary intensive care unit. A 39-year-old is also being treated in Leeds but his injuries are not thought to be life threatening.
A 44-year-old is in Calderdale Royal Hospital and a fourth was treated and released. Several other people were injured.
Chief Inspector Steve Cotter, of Calderdale police, said: "High-visibility patrols were deployed in the area last night to provide reassurance to residents and neighbourhood policing team officers are in the area again today to continue that work.
"We are also meeting residents and community leaders again today to reassure them this was an isolated incident.
"Incidents such as this are, thankfully, very, very rare in Calderdale."
Community leaders today called for calm.
Councillor Mohammed Najib (Lab, Park) said: "What happened was so, so bad. I feel sorry for the people that suffered. I would ask for calm and peace in the community."
Hopwood Lane remained closed today as forensic teams examined the scene.
A 25-year-old witness said: "A group of young men were ambushed by another group, believed to be all the same family.
"They were attacked in the street with knives, baseball bats and what looked like a car wrench, leaving two unconscious.
"The public rushed those who were badly injured to hospital before the emergency services arrived.
"They were like animals and they annihilated them. There was blood everywhere. We thought they were going to kill one guy who was unconscious.
"They carried on hitting him with a baseball bat while he was lying there."
Ali Hussain, 23, of King Cross, was among the group of shocked bystanders at the scene today.
He said: "It's not safe to be around this area now.
"What is going to happen to families living here, especially those with kids? We just want to keep out of it."
Arfan Mohammed, 22, of Warley Road, said people were worried because there were guns in the community. Four local men, aged 23, 24, 36, and 38, have been arrested in connection with the assaults and are currently in custody.
Two other men were arrested for public order offences and have been dealt with and released.
Council leaders called a crisis meeting today.
A spokesman said: "The council is working with the community, police and other partners to see how we can help relieve any issues in the area."
Anyone who witnessed the incident or who has any information is asked to contact police on 01422 337085.


The BBC reckons it's a family feud. Any relation to this ? The guy who got 15 years two weeks ago comes from the same area.

A MAN has been jailed for a total of 15 years for trying to pervert the course of justice with acts that included hiring a gunman, who was himself later murdered, to scare off witnesses.
It can be revealed for the first time following the lifting of reporting restrictions at Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Richard Clarke, who was shot dead in Leeds in 2004, had two weeks earlier fired a handgun at a car containing three men in Halifax after being recruited by Chaudry Fiaz Hussain.
One of the men in the car was the brother of a witness due to give evidence at a trial in which Hussain was accused of an earlier shooting of amateur rugby player Liam Walsh, in Halifax.
While on remand in Armley Prison awaiting his trial Hussain had got to know Clarke and recruited him to send a message to some of the potential witnesses warning them not to give evidence.
Clarke was shot dead while sleeping at his home in Moorland Avenue, Hyde Park, Leeds, in July 2004.
He had a reputation as a hard man with a knowledge of firearms, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Norman Jones QC, was told at an earlier hearing at Leeds Crown Court. After his release from jail Clarke was the passenger in a stolen Subaru Impreza car which pulled up alongside a VW Bora outside the Beehive and Cross Keys Public House in King Cross Street, Halifax, and fired one shot at the three occupants.
The bullet made a hole near the driver's door and windscreen but it did not stop witnesses giving evidence at Hussain's trial the following month.
He was cleared of attempting to murder Mr Walsh but found guilty of assaulting Mr Walsh's stepfather and a friend earlier that day when he sprayed a CS-type substance at them. He was jailed for two years.
After that trial police began investigating allegations that Hussain had persuaded relatives and others to give false alibi evidence that he was at home when Mr Walsh was shot.
Those inquiries led to further charges, but reporting restrictions were then imposed on the whole proceedings.
Hussain, 28, of Thrum Hall Drive, Pellon, Halifax, was jailed for eight years by Judge Jones in February for conspiring to pervert the course of justice relating to the Beehive shooting.
Yesterday he was jailed for a further seven years consecutively by Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC on similar charges involving the false alibi evidence. He had been convicted on that matter by a jury in May.
His brother Chaudry Sajad Hussain, 30, is already serving 15 years in jail after he was extradited from Holland and pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Mr Walsh and his stepfather.
He admitted last year he was the gunman who shot Mr Walsh and his stepfather in a revenge attack.
Yesterday other members of their family were also jailed for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice over the false alibi evidence. Their sister Shameen Hussain, 22 of Thrum Hall Drive, and sister-in-law Rukhsana Hussain, 32 of Harrow Street, Halifax each received three years in prison.
Two businessmen, Mahmood Khan, 45 of Savil Park, Halifax, and Matloob Hussain, 32, of Queens Road, King Cross, Halifax, also convicted of the alibi conspiracy, were each jailed for four years.
All had said Chaudry Fiaz Hussain was at home when Mr Walsh was shot.
Judge Durham Hall said he had no doubt Hussain shamelessly orchestrated the "tissue of lies" told by members of his family and his acquaintances over his false alibi.
Robbie Gottshalk, 40, of Dewsbury Road, Beeston, Leeds, who was driving the Impreza when Clarke opened fire, was jailed for six-and-a-half years by Judge Jones after admitting conspiracy
to pervert the course of justice.
Nayyer Hafiz, 28, from Halifax, was sentenced to eight years and Arif Alam, 21, of Cross Kelso Road, Leeds, to four years for their part in that plot.
Gottshalk also received further consecutive sentences for wounding a former girlfriend and drug offences.
Det Supt Steve Fear said: "These are people who went to extreme measures to avoid justice but, as a result of our investigation, their tissue of lies was unravelled.
"This was a criminal family intent on carrying on their business regardless and they used devious and violent methods to do that.
"They appeared to have no fear of the criminal justice system and were convinced they could get away with telling lies to avoid the consequences of their actions.
"They first tried to intimidate witnesses but when those people stood their ground and refused to back down they turned to violence involving firearms and ultimately false evidence."
Police have so far failed to trace Richard Clarke's killer.
olwen.dudgeon@ypn.co.uk

7 comments:

Martin said...

Laban,

The spirits of the Al-Hatfields and the McQhoys is not yet dead.

Anonymous said...

Leeds Infirmary intensive care unit.

Leeds General Infirmary I assume ?

Halifax is now subsumed into the bland Calderdale where happy multicultural customs continue in very monocultural areas...........

Anonymous said...

"They appeared to have no fear of the criminal justice system", quote Mr. Plod.

Well I wonder why that would be?

Anonymous said...

Small riot in Halifax, not many killed... So that's alright.

"Arfan Mohammed, 22, of Warley Road, said people were worried because there were guns in the community"

Must be thinking about the BNP. Mustn't he??

Old Bill say "We are also meeting residents and community leaders again today to reassure them this was an isolated incident"

No worries about the BNP then. Where would we be without "community leaders"!

Anonymous said...

community leaders How can I become a Community Leader ? I like the idea of being consulted on matters by the Government..............I should set myself up as "Indigenous Community Leader" or "Spokesman for the White Native Community"..............

I just love the way these sociological concepts of "community" are applied in a virtual reality sense

Anonymous said...

further report

THE police response to a mass brawl has come under fire from people at the scene.

Witnesses claim bystanders were attacked by riot police after a street fight in Hopwood Lane, Halifax,

Mohammed Rahoof, of the British Muslim Association, was caught up in the violence.
He said up to 500 onlookers were milling around when police arrived in body armour and helmets. Police dogs and a helicopter also patrolled the scene.
He said: "With the helicopter hovering over them, it attracted attention and local youths and people started to come out into the street.
"The police had other ideas and started dispersing them but they were very heavy-handed and started using CS gas.
"They got people's backs up and they started kicking off," he said.
"A report of a brawl got turned into a bigger disturbance by the police's actions," Mr Rahoof added.


http://www.halifaxcouriertoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=700&ArticleID=1659230

Anonymous said...

Community in the sense of "not our community"