A coward who ‘prowled the streets’ before following and running over his ex-partner’s husband as he cycled to work has been jailed. Ijaz Ahmed, 51, drove to the man’s address and lay in wait before pursuing him.
Captured on CCTV, Ahmed caught up to him and knocked him from his bike. He then attacked him with a knife and left him to bleed out on the street, Minshull Street Crown Court previously heard.
Ahmed, of Stoke-on-Trent, was convicted following a trial of an offence of attempted murder. Today (June 15) he was jailed for 30 years.
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The court heard that in the early hours of the morning on December 10 2021, Ahmed drove to the man’s address and ‘lay in wait’. As the victim was cycling to work, Ahmed followed him in his car and knocked him to the ground.
He then attacked him with a knife.
Police were called to reports of the collision on Bowness Road, in Middleton, at around 6.30am that morning. They found the victim had suffered deep wounds to his face and scale that were inflicted by a knife, as well as an open skull fracture and blunt force trauma to his body.
Eyewitnesses were able to identify the car, namely a blue Toyota Yaris, and detectives traced it to a garage in Stoke-on-Trent where it was being advertised for sale. They identified a key witness who revealed he had given the key to Ahmed on the understanding that he knew someone who was interested in buying the car.
The man then told officers that the car was missing on the morning of the collision and was returned a few hours later by Ahmed with damage to the number plate and scratches to the paintwork.
When confronted, Ahmed offered to pay for repairs and broke the number plate into pieces. He insisted the number plate be reported as stolen to the police, but this was not done and the number plate was simply replaced by the garage.
Ahmed fled the country following the attack in an attempt to evade capture by the police, and returned five months later when he thought that police were ‘no longer looking for him’.
On May 6 last year, Ahmed was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder by Staffordshire Police on behalf of Greater Manchester Police and he was taken to custody for questioning. He denied involvement in the attack.
However, he was found guilty of attempted murder by a jury and jailed for 30 years with an extended licence period. Ahmed, of Harrowby Road, was also made the subject of a restraining order indefinitely.
In sentencing, Judge Bernadette Baxter said: "This was a ruthless and brutal attack that was premeditated, planned and motivated by jealousy, hurt pride and revenge. The CCTV is chilling and showed Ahmed prowling the area and lying in wait.
“The victim was utterly defenceless and suffered profound injuries. He is no longer the man he was and never will be. From first to last (Ahmed) has shown not one jot of remorse."
Detective Inspector Nicola Hopkinson of GMP Rochdale CID said: “Getting justice for the victim has been at the forefront of the minds of everyone in the investigation team and I’m pleased the sentence today reflects some of the pain and suffering that was inflicted. I hope it comes as some comfort to the victim and his family and I hope it brings some closure to the local community who were left deeply affected and shaken by the incident.
“I want to thank the bravery of the witnesses in coming forward and supporting the investigation and the victim himself who was integral to this case in providing compelling evidence that helped secure the conviction.
“It was a cowardly and utterly horrific attack on a man who was simply going to work to provide for his family and he is very lucky to have survived.
"The investigation team has worked around the clock to build the case against Ahmed, and whilst the sentence today in no way compares to the life-long sentence inflicted on the victim - who will bear the scars for the rest of his life - I am pleased their hard-work and dedication has secured a very significant jail sentence.
“Finally I hope the sentence today makes plain to those who think they can carry weapons and harm others, that they will spend many years behind bars.
“I can also promise criminals that, as this case demonstrates, Greater Manchester Police will use every resource available to hunt down those responsible and make them answer for their crimes.
“We continue to appeal to anyone with information about serious violent offences to report it."
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