Teenagers who murdered Pakistani taxi driver have sentence tariffs reduced

The Huddersfield Examiner reports on the successful sentence appeal of a young man who aged 17 was sentenced for the murder of Pakistani taxi driver Mohammed Parvaiz.

Mr Parvaiz was killed in Huddersfield in July 2006 by four teenagers, Graeme Slavin, 17, Steven Utley, 17, Christopher Murphy, 18, and Michael Hand, 19.

Mr Parvaiz was lured by the teenagers to Field Head in Golcar and subjected to a “horrendous assault with fists, feet and weapons”. Mr Parvaiz’s murder was “racially aggravated and planned” with property stolen from him afterwards by the gang of four youths.

Slavin was at the time sentenced to a “minimum tariff” of 17 years.

Last week, his appeal against his sentence was heard at the High Court where he was described as a “model prisoner” who had “matured considerably” during his time in prison. A senior prison officer wrote in support of Slavin and the changes he had since undergone stating: “I do feel that Mr Slavin has shown and displayed exceptional progress in custody beyond all expectations. He was reflective and showed true empathy towards the victim and the victim’s family.”

High Court judge Mrs Justice McGowan cut Slavin’s minimum tariff by two years from 17 to 15 years.

She said that the reduction in the tariff did not mean Slavin would be released from prison early, merely that a parole board could assess an application for release on license sooner than it might otherwise.

Justice McGowan also said that the reduction in the minimum tariff did not “in any way, diminish the wickedness and savagery of the assault which killed Mr Parvaiz.” 

Slavin’s successful appeal against his sentence comes several months after fellow teenager, Steven Utley, won an appeal also reducing his sentence by two years. In May, Utley had his sentence reduced to 15 years on account of his “progress” in prison.

Mr Parvaiz’s son, Ismaeel, who was 12 years old when his father was killed, reacted to the news in a Facebook post saying “This has brought back all the pain and anguish we went through 10 years ago. Is this fair? No!

“Someone who has put a family through so much difficulty and hardship should not be released from prison simply on the basis they have behaved good in prison,” he wrote.