Cousins jailed for brutal killing after cycle row
COUSINS convicted of the “brutal killing” of a man in a row over a stolen bicycle have been jailed.
After Samuel Ford had his bike stolen he went out with younger cousin Curtis to try to find the thief.
But Bristol Crown Court heard they wrongly attributed the theft to 47-year-old Mikhail Hanid, and when they confronted him Curtis stabbed him 11 times.
After the attack Curtis Ford was heard bragging: “You’ve got to push it in and twist it because they can’t sew or put the stomach back together.”
Mr Hanid died three days after the attack.
Curtis Ford, 28, of Baildon Road in Weston-super-Mare, pleaded guilty to murder on the first day of a trial.
Samuel Ford, 30, who was living at the same address, was convicted of manslaughter on December 23, after the trial of three weeks.
Recorder of Bristol Judge Peter Blair jailed Curtis Ford for life, with a minimum term of 26 years.
He gave Samuel Ford an extended sentence of 12 years – nine years’ custody, of which he must serve at least two-thirds, and three years’ extended licence.
The judge described Mr Hanid as a “warm, kind-hearted and interesting human being”.
“He was brutally killed by an appalling knife attack ... It was an utterly senseless act by Curtis Ford.”
The court heard Samuel had his bike stolen a couple of days before the fatal attack.
He sent a number of messages to a friend wrongly accusing Mr Hanid of being responsible, despite there being no evidence to support the claims.
The messages included racially abusive language and threats
against the 47-year-old victim.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, June 27 last year, police were called to a report of a number of men fighting in the Ridgeway Avenue area of Weston-super-Mare. They found Mr Hanid seriously injured, with a number of stab wounds.
Jurors found Samuel Ford not guilty of murder and returned a guilty verdict of manslaughter.
Mr Hanid’s brothers described him as a “kind, peace-loving and sociable man” who had some mental health difficulties.
They said he disliked violence. Kerim Fuad, defending Curtis
Ford, urged his client to have credit for his guilty plea.
He stressed the matter was not Curtis Ford’s concern, and he had joined a fight that wasn’t his.
Diana Ellis, defending Samuel Ford, said her client had not been armed and denied it was a racist attack.
Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio said: “Mikhail Hanid was an innocent man who did not know his killers and was subjected to a horrific attack. Neither Curtis Ford nor Samuel Ford have shown any remorse for their actions.
“Curtis only pleaded guilty at the last minute due to the wealth of evi
dence against him. Samuel desperately tried to cover his tracks and failed to cooperate with police during interviews.
“The abusive racial language used came to light after both men were charged and this has been treated as a hate crime. There is absolutely no place in society for such abhorrent views and we’re grateful for SARI’s assistance during our investigation.
“Mikhail’s family and friends have spoken glowingly about him and I’d like to thank them for their support while this investigation was carried out as we sought to achieve justice.”