Man found guilty of murder of 81 year old, Muhsin Ahmed

The Daily Mail and BBC News report that one of the men on trial for the murder of 81 year old Muhsin Ahmed, who was killed after sustaining serious head injuries following a brutal assault, has been found guilty.

Dale Jones, 30, was convicted of murdering Mr Ahmed during a drink and drug fuelled attack at around 3am on 10 August 2015. Mr Jones initially called Mr Ahmed a “groomer” before viciously attacking him in Rotherham.

Ahmed had been walking to the mosque for the dawn prayers when he was assaulted by two men.

According to the prosecution, Mr Jones and his friend, Damien Hunt, 30, allegedly punched, kicked and stamped on Mr Ahmed, as they walked together “stride for stride almost like soldiers”.

The jury at Sheffield Crown Court found Mr Jones guilty of murder. Hunt’s case is under deliberation by a jury and no verdict had been returned so far.

Minutes after the attack took place, Mr Jones met a friend and said: “Eh up Mickey, its a good job tha’s not a P***.” It was also revealed that four months before the murder, Mr Jones expressed racist views when he was interviewed by a probation officer for a football hooliganism offence. Jones told the officer: “Pakistanis make me very angry.” When the officer asked why, he replied: “All P**** are rapists”.

During the two week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, Mr Jones and Mr Hunt blamed each other for the attack, which left the grandfather of 12 with fractures to his eye sockets, jaw and nose.

Prosecuting, Andrew Robertson QC, told the court: “Jones accused him of being a groomer, no doubt his word for paedophile and no doubt an accusation made for no better reason than Mr Ahmed was Asian. He landed punches and kicks on his victim. Mr Ahmed suffered many blows, many kicks and stamps to the face and our case is that Hunt joined in.”

Jones was said to have threatened to kill his girlfriend’s ex-partner and was “prepared to do 35 years” for the crime. He also shouted racist abuse at an Asian taxi driver minutes before the attack on Mr Ahmed, telling the cabbie: “I will pull your f****** black head off.”

CCTV pictures of the incident show both men following Mr Ahmed just before the attack. He was found lying on a patch of grass by a passer by at 5:25am with severe facial injuries and brain damage. He died in hospital 11 days later.

Forensic tests matched a footprint found on Mr Ahmed’s face to trainers worn by Mr Jones, while Mr Hunt’s DNA was found on Mr Ahmed’s dentures, which were dislodged from his mouth during the attack.

Hunt told the court that Mr Jones kicked Mr Ahmed’s head “like it was a football” and “jumped on his head with both feet”. He also claimed that he tried stopping the attack and told the court: “He called him a grooming P***, a P*** b****** and things like that.”

A month later, Mr Jones bragged to a friend that he would not be caught for the murder of Mr Ahmed as he assumed the police did not have any evidence to prosecute him.

A vigil was held for Mr Ahmed after his death. His son, Yoseff Ahmed, speaking before his father passed away said: “We hoped that after all these years [my father] would be safe taking his morning walk to prayers, but unfortunately these days society can’t guarantee that to any of us. Should this turn out to be racially motivated we wouldn’t dream of labelling everyone, we need to remember they are criminals of the lowest order.”

Jones is expected to return to Sheffield Crown Court later this week for sentencing.