Man cleared over single blow death in Luton

A man who knocked another man to the ground in a Luton street with a single blow was cleared of his manslaughter on Monday.
News from the courtsNews from the courts
News from the courts

Sharaz Khan, who had delivered the blow, then helped lift Junade Amjad up and got him into a car after he said he didn’t want to go to hospital.

But six days later Mr Amjad was found dead in his bed after refusing to go to hospital.

Luton Crown Court heard Mr Khan had thrown one blow during a late night altercation with Junade Amjad in King Street, Luton in the early hours of a December night in 2015.

But it was enough to send him toppling to the ground, where he lost consciousness for a short while.

The not guilty verdict came after Mr Khan had told the court he feared he was about to be struck by Mr Amjad, who had already pushed him and sworn at him.

He told the jury “I was trying to get my words through to him, stop screaming.”

Mr Khan said the other man had come towards him and told the court “That’s when he grabbed me.”

He went on “He came right into my face. His hand raised and I reacted.

“He raised his hand and I thought he was going to hit me and I reacted and I swung my arm.”

Mr Khan of Ailsworth Road, Luton, said he couldn’t remember if it was a fist or his open palm that had connected with the side of Mr Amjad’s face.

But he claimed he had not punched the other man.

The jury accepted his account that he had acted in self defence.

During the trial, pathologist Dr Nat Carey told the court the victim could have survived if he had gone to hospital.

Prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff QC told the jury that in the early hours of 5 December 2015, there was ‘an altercation’ between Mr Khan and 25-year-old Junade in King Street, Luton.

“It appears the victim lost consciousness for a short while, although the exact duration remains uncertain. Following this blow, Junade Amjad became increasingly unwell and 6 days later he was found dead in his bed,” she said.

She told the jury that Mr Amjad, from Brandon Avenue, Luton, went out with a small group of friends on 4 December to celebrate one of their birthdays.

Earlier, Junade’s partner, Faheem Sardar, told the jury he returned home on the evening of Tuesday 8 December.

On the Friday Mr Sardar went to check on Junade and found he was unresponsive. He called for an ambulance, but a paramedic said he had been dead for some time.

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