Three charged with Birmingham deaths

A 26-YEAR-OLD man, a 23-year-old man and a teenager were remanded in custody yesterday after appearing in court charged with the murders of three men who were struck by a car during last week’s riots.

Haroon Jahan, 21, and brothers Shazad Ali, 30, and Abdul Musavir, 31, suffered fatal injuries when they were hit by the car in the early hours of Wednesday morning while trying to protect shops in Winson Green, Birmingham, from looters. They were all pronounced dead in hospital.

During a brief hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Joshua Donald, 26, from Kelsall Croft, Ladywood, appeared before magistrates charged with three counts of murder.

Adam King, from Kings Norton in Birmingham has been charged with three counts of murder and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court today.

Donald and a 17-year-old male from Winson Green, who cannot be named because of his age, were arrested on Thursday and were charged late on Saturday night after police were granted extra time by Solihull Magistrates’ Court to question them.

Donald, who appeared in court sporting a beard, wearing dark jeans and a black hooded top, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

In the hearing, which lasted less than five minutes, the court clerk read charges to him, saying:

“It is said that on August 10 you murdered Shazad Ali, it is also said you murdered Haroon Jahan and you also murdered Abdul Musavir.”

District Judge Michael Wheeler told the defendant that his case could not be dealt with at magistrates’ court and he was to be remanded in custody to appear at Birmingham Crown Court tomorrow.

In a separate hearing shortly afterwards, the 17-year-old defendant was brought into court.

Wearing a dark grey sweatshirt and grey trousers, the same three murder charges were put to him as were put to Donald.

Asked by the court clerk if he understood the charges, the youth did not respond and was asked the same question again, to which he simply nodded his head.