Jury considering verdict in Moss Side murder trial
SAIT MBOOB DIED AFTER POLICE CALLED TO REPORTS OF FIGHT IN AUGUST LAST YEAR
JURORS in the trial of seven people accused of murdering Sait Mboob in Moss Side have retired to consider their verdicts.
It follows an eight week trial at Manchester Crown Court, where seven defendants are accused of murder and three charges of section 18 wounding.
Prosecutors allege the defendants are affiliated to the 7M gang, and that Sait was murdered in an incident violence.’
Police were called to reports of a fight on Crosshill Street in Moss Side on August 8 last year.
Laif Morgan, 22, Lequornne Morgan, Requan Brown, and Ryan Isaacs, all 19, and Husam Ghazanfar, 18, are all in the dock. Two 16-yearold boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are also accused. All defendants deny the charges. Emil Bell, 17, was found guilty of Sait’s murder and assaults on three men at a previous trial.
Sending the jurors out to consider verdicts yesterday morning, the of ‘group-on-group judge, Mr Justice King told them: “You may have heard of majority verdicts. Ignore that completely.
“If that time ever comes when I could accept majority verdicts, I will tell you. At the moment the only verdicts which I can receive from you in respect of any defendant is a unanimous verdict on which you are all agreed.”
Opening the case for the prosecution at the start of the trial, David McLachlan QC said: “The prosecution say that this was a case of group-on-group violence. It was a pre-planned attack. The defendants went armed with a selection of lethal weapons which included knives, machetes and at least one hammer.”
The prosecution say they cannot prove who inflicted the fatal blows which killed Sait, but allege it was a joint attack by Bell and the seven defendants.
Prosecutors say the attackers travelled from Ardwick to Moss Side in a light blue Fiat 500 and a rented bullet grey Mercedes A class hatchback.
Following the incident they say that Lequornne Morgan ‘re-enacted’ the stabbings when they arrived at a bar in the Power League in Ardwick. Lequornne Morgan denies being at the Power League.
None of the seven defendants took to the witness stand to give evidence during the trial. Most deny being present in Moss Side at the time of the attack. Others admit being at the Power League in Ardwick after Sait was killed.
Laif Morgan, of St Gregorys Road, Ardwick; Lequornne Morgan, of St Gregory’s Close, Ardwick; Requan Brown, of Higher Ardwick, Ardwick; Ryan Isaacs, of Woodlands Road, Crumpsall; Husam Ghazanfar of Delahays Range, Gorton and two 16-year-old boys all deny the charges.
Proceeding.