Court hears of victim’s ‘gang links’
YOUNGSTER WITH MUSCLE DISORDER IN BED UNRESPONSIVE, INQUEST HEARS
A TEENAGE boxer who was gunned down in the street had links to a gang known to police, a court has heard.
Cole Kershaw 18, died after he was shot in the chest in Chesham Road, Bury, on August 12 last year.
Three men are on trial accused of his murder – Kamran Mohammed, 19, of Kingsdale Close, Bury; Mohammed Izaarh Khan, 21, of Palace Street, Bury; and Khayam Ali Khurshid, 28, of Eton Hill Road, Bury. All deny the charge.
Mr Mohammed has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
All three men have also denied a second charge of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
A fourth man, Raheem Hall, 19, of Hardfield Street, Heywood, denies possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life but has admitted assisting an offender.
Jurors at Manchester Crown Court have previously heard that Cole was shot dead following a car chase sparked by a dispute between one of his friends, Spencer Woods, and Kamran Mohammed. Prosecutors allege that the promising boxer was killed as he tried to run away when the car he was travelling in crashed.
The trial has now heard about Cole’s links to a gang known as ‘The BL9ers,’ which was known to police.
Prosecutor James Gelsthorpe alleged that Cole and Mr Woods were believed to be members of the gang.
Jurors also heard about a burglary which happened in the days following the alleged shooting. Mr Gelsthorpe told the court that a CCTV system was stolen from Chesham Fold Community Centre, in Chesham Fold Road, Bury. The community centre’s CCTV cameras are said to have pointed out towards a Best One store, which Khayam Ali Khurshid claimed he was outside at the time of the alleged shooting.
“Due to the theft, no footage could be recovered by police,” Mr Gelsthorpe said.
A woman, who works at the community centre, said in a statement that two to three weeks after the burglary, an Asian male turned up.
She added that the man asked to see the CCTV system and mentioned the burglary.
When she refused, the court was told that the man drove away, but returned ten minutes later to ask whether there was a back-up system.
The witness said she thought the man seemed ‘suspicious,’ so she phoned the police and gave them the car’s registration number. Mr Gelsthorpe told the court that when police investigated the vehicle, they discovered that it was registered to Mr Khurshid’s uncle. The trial heard from another witness, Natasha Fenton, who said she had seen Mr Khurshid outside the Best One store at 9.15pm on August 12 – 20 minutes before Cole was allegedly killed. However, prosecutor Jason Pitter suggested that he had left the area on more than one occasion during the time the witness claimed he was outside the shop.
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Prosecutors allege the promising boxer was killed as he tried to run away when the car he was in crashed
A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD girl with a muscle disorder was found dead in her bed with a pillow covering her face, an inquest heard.
Freya Evelyn Pattinson, from Brooklands, Sale, was found unresponsive on the morning of January 30, 2017.
The night before, the youngster went to bed at her ‘usual time.’
A family member checked on her at around 3am and she seemed fine, an inquest at Manchester Coroners’ Court heard.
When Freya’s family went to wake her up for school at around 7am, she was found unresponsive and wasn’t breathing.
She was lying across her bed at a 90-degree angle, wedged between two cushions, the court heard.
One pillow was covering her face, the coroner was told, causing an ‘upper airway obstruction.’
Freya’s mum Lisa Daniels attempted to perform mouth-tomouth resuscitation until paramedics arrived. The child was then taken to Wythenshawe Hospital. Despite medics’ best efforts, she sadly died.
On Monday, Manchester’s senior coroner Nigel Meadows heard that a ‘lengthy’ medical investigation followed. A police probe was also launched.
A ‘very extensive’ toxicology report was carried out by forensic pathologist Kirsten Turner, the court heard.
Samples of Freya’s hair were collected for analysis. They were found to contain traces of cocaine and cannabis, which Ms Turner suggested could have come from inhalation; environmental conditions; or from coming into contact with the substances. Ms Turner said there was nothing to suggest deliberate inhalation by the child.
Following a post mortem examination, Freya was formally diagnosed with dystonic cerebral palsy, also known as dystonia or ataxic cerebral palsy.
The condition causes involuntary muscle contractions and can affect the whole body.
A post mortem report suggested it could have caused developmental delays and poor growth.
Recording an open conclusion, Mr Meadows said he was unable to confirm Freya’s cause of death.
“The reports have been unable to explain an identifiable cause of death,” he said.
“The medical cause is unascertained and an open conclusion has been recorded into her death.
“I offer my sincere condolences to Freya’s family and I apologise that it has taken so long for the inquest to be held due to the pandemic.” Following the hearing, Freya’s mum Ms Daniels, on behalf of her family, said: “Every minute of every day that Freya was here, she was adored, loved and cherished by all her family.”
Every minute of every day that Freya was here she was adored, loved and cherished
Her mum Lisa Daniels