Murderers '˜have ripped a chunk out of our hearts' - family

Idris Sadiq was found guilty of killing with Mr Hussain after he and two other men attacked the 41-year-old with a baseball bat, knocking him unconscious and leaving him in the middle of Staniforth Road in Darnall on New Year’s Eve.

Mr Hussain was run over moments later by a passing car and died at the scene.

Tributes to Mr Hussain were paid in court by two of his nieces, which left some members of the jury left in tears.

Aneasa and Sana Hussain spoke of the pain of having to identify their uncle’s body and said his murder came just months after one of his brothers Bobby had died.

Aneasa said: “After my uncle Bobby passed away in February 2015, I remember thinking on New Year’s Eve surely this year can’t get any worse than the last.

“At 10am on New Year’s Day, I heard the tragic news that tore my family apart. At first, I didn’t believe it was Zabair. It was only when I did something I never expected to do in my lifetime and identified his body, our lives were turned upside down.

“I struggle to get the horrific images out of my mind.

“I still can’t understand why he was taken from us so brutally.

“It has affected my whole family but most of all my dad. Zabair was his brother and best friend. My dad is never going to be the same again.

“Every time I think about Zabair I break down in tears. I wonder how he was feeling - if he was in pain or scared with no-one there to help him

“These murderers have taken a dad, a brother, an uncle and a best friend away from his family.

“It was such a brutal, unprovoked attack on a human being, I will never understand why

“He was loved so much by his family and friends. I’m sorry we weren’t there to help you.

“Our hearts are broken and our family will never be the same again.

“We were robbed of saying goodbye. All we live with now are nightmares of not being able to help.”

Sana added: “Ever since that day, our lives have never been the same.

“It has left me and my whole family broken and devastated.

“Those people have ripped a chunk out of our hearts.

“It is six months on and it still seems like yesterday I heard that awful news. I get flashes of my whole life with Zabair from being a baby to a teenager and now an adult.

“The day I went to identify his body will stay with me for the rest of my life. Seeing Zabair that last time will never leave me.

“This will be with me for the rest of my life.”

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