Kian Tordoff murder: Bradford teenager's last words were 'tell my mum I love her' after being stabbed to death

Sheryar Khan, who is now 17 but was just 16 at the time of the murder, was told he would have serve a minimum of 15 years and 91 days in custody before being considered for release by the Parole Board.

Khan can now be named after the Recorder of Bradford Judge Richard Mansell QC lifted an anonymity order which had previously prevented the media from identifying the teenager during a six-week trial at the city’s crown court.

Making his ruling yesterday Judge Mansell said there was a strong public interest in the full reporting of the case including the identification of the perpetrator of the crime.

He said such cases involving young males taking up arms to exact revenge or take the law into their own hands were sadly not uncommon and the kind of weapons being routinely used were hunting knives and machetes.

“I consider it very important that the press are able not only to report the case fully, but also identify the perpetrator of the killing of an innocent young man and the near fatal stabbing of a second.

“A clear message of deterrence needs to be sent out by the courts when offences like this are committed especially to young people and those responsible for them.”

A jury yesterday returned a unanimous guilty verdict on the murder charge and Khan, of Yew Tree Avenue, Bradford, was also convicted of wounding with intent in respect of his second victim Matthew Page,19, also known as Matthew Lowther, who suffered life-threatening injuries when he was stabbed in the chest and slashed across the stomach.

Khan’s older brother Arbaz, 22, of the same address, was cleared on a joint enterprise murder allegation, but he was convicted of manslaughter and unlawful wounding.

Arbaz Khan was today jailed for 14 years after the court heard he had played a leading role in organising what Judge Mansell called “the revenge trip to Bradford” after he had been involved in a n earlier fight in the Westgate area.

Mohammed Adil Hussain, 18, of Kite Mews, Bradford, was also found not guilty on the murder charge, but guilty of manslaughter and unlawful wounding.

Hussain, who was 17 at the time, was sentence to nine years in a young offenders institution for his lesser role in the incident.

Three other men Aizaz Khan, 27, of Yew Tree Avenue, Amaad Shakiel, 20, of Leaventhorpe Lane, Bradford, and Adam Qayum, 23, of Avenel Road, Bradford, were all cleared of the murder, manslaughter and wounding charges.

At the start of the trial in early June the jury heard how Mr Tordoff died after suffering six stab wounds during a large scale disturbance in the city centre on October 10.

The 19-year-old died from major blood loss after a deep stab wound in the back damaged his lung and severed his main artery.

The teenager, who had earlier been out with friends at the Village nightclub in Sackville Street, also had stab wounds to his neck, chest and hip and a pathologist also found evidence of defensive wounds to his hand and arm as he tried to stop the knife or knives hitting important parts of his body.

Before the trial began Khan pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility but Judge Mansell the teenager had sought to hide behind his mental health disorder and had not been truthful when he told psychiatrists that voices in his head had commanded him to take a knife from his home and stab his victim.

Mr Tordoff died in the street in the arms of three young women and he told them:"Tell my mum I love her."

In victim impact statement read to the court by prosecuting counsel Ben Campbell Mr Tordoff’s mother Danielle Laycock described him her first born child as her best friend and her prince.

She said her son had been torn between going out that night with friends or using the money to buy a new game for his PlayStation.

“I wish I had never let him go out that night,” she said.

She said he had been a great son and an amazing older brother.

In his victim statement Matthew Page described how he suffered nightmares and flashbacks of seeing one his best friends die in front of him that night.

“Everyone who was there that night is finding it hard to move on with their lives,” he added.

Passing sentence Judge Mansell said Mr Tordoff’s life had been cut short in a needless knife attack carried out by Sheryar Khan and it had caused unimaginable grief to his mum and family.

He said Matthew Page had been fortunate to escape with his life and his mental health has and will continue to be hugely affected as a result of watching his friend die in front of him.

The judge said Arbaz Khan had been humiliated by what had happened during the earlier incident and he wasn’t prepared to let it lie or involve the police.

He said Arbaz Khan and the others had returned to Bradford in a BMW to take revenge on those responsible.

Judge Mansell said Sheryar Khan had exited the car carrying a machete and a knife and he had chased after Mr Tordoff who slipped and fell onto the ground where he was subjected to a ferocious assault as he lay defenceless in the road.

He said the attackers left the area and disposed of their weapons probably in or near Lister Park and they should a complete lack of concern or remorse for what had happened as they stopped to buy soft drinks from a shop.

After passing sentence Judge Mansell offered his condolences to members of Mr Tordoff’s family who had endured the horrendous experience of seeing harrowing CCTV footage of the murder during the trial and he also commended the police team involved in the investigation which had brought the three defendants to justice.