Three jailed for 'senseless' road-rage murder

Three attackers who stabbed a man 11 times in a road-rage murder have been handed life sentences for the "cold and senseless" killing.

Sadiq Al-lami, 30, from Gorton died after a row at traffic lights on the A34 Kingsway in Didsbury early in the morning on 23 January last year.

Sultan Bakr, 23, of Gorton and brothers from Withington, Sikander Babar, 25, and Abdul Wahab Babar, 19, were all found guilty of his murder after a month-long trial and jailed for life with minimum terms at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court.

Det Insp Alex Wilkinson of Greater Manchester Police said the men "had a choice" that night and "chose to resort to violence".

Both Sultan Bakr and Sikander Babar, were handed a minimum 20-year term as they were jailed for life, while Abdal Babar was given a 19-year minimum tariff.

The Baber brothers were both seen on CCTV jumping out of a truck in Essex trying to flee the country after the attack, before they were arrested and brought back to Manchester, the court heard.

Two other men, who were also in the car at the time, were acquitted of murder and manslaughter last year.

Mr Al-lami was found badly hurt at about 01:40 GMT by police and taken to hospital where he later died from his injuries.

In a tribute paid at the time, his family said the 30-year-old's "warmth and love touched the hearts of everyone that he met".

Police said a parcel addressed to one of the men in the car had been left at the scene allowing them to track down the attackers, but it could not be determined which of the three stabbed him.

The court heard it was likely that both cars had been "racing" before meeting at the traffic lights.

In a statement by the family, the court heard how Sadiq's family knew most of the attackers adding that Adul Wahab Babar and Sultan Bakr had "even been to our house".

Det Insp Wilkinson said the murder was "such a senseless thing to happen", while Karen Tonge of the Crown Prosecution Service said it was a "brutal and vicious group attack".

"All three men attempted to blame each other for the murder, and although each played a slightly different role, all three men shared a common purpose to cause at least serious harm to Sadiq Al-Lami."

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