Man who killed popular footballer jailed for 26 years

A man has been jailed for 26 year for the murder of Suel Delgado, 20, from Crawley.

Suel, who played football for Loxwood, Broadbridge Heath and Alfold as well as Three Bridges, died in December 2019 after he was struck by a car along with two of his friends while they were out in Brighton.

Last month a jury found Iftekhar Khondaker, 34, guilty of Suel’s murder and two counts of attempted murder, said police. His brother Irfan Khondaker, 27, was found guilty of assisting an offender by helping his brother escape the scene of the crime.

A police spokesman added: “On Thursday February 4, the brothers appeared at Hove Crown Court for sentencing. Iftekhar was ordered to serve a minimum of 26 years in prison before he can apply for release. Irfan was jailed for three years, the maximum sentence for the offence.”

The court heard that Suel and his friends were out celebrating a birthday in Brighton when they became involved in a ‘minor scuffle’ with the Khondaker brothers. A police spokesman said: “The Khondaker brothers then went to their large BMW X6 SUV which was parked nearby, and wanting to prove they had won the fight, Iftekhar deliberately drove the vehicle at speed into the group as they crossed the road, injuring the three friends.”

Suel was fatally injured. His two friends received life-threatening injuries but survived.

DCI Friday said he hoped police provided some answers as to how Suel met his death, and who was responsible.

He added: “I would like to recognise the courage of the witnesses who came forward to support us in achieving this result and to also thank the jury for their time, commitment and due diligence in bringing about this verdict.”