Sheffield man who attacked childhood friend with axe jailed for 10 years

A jury found Aksar Latif, of Bawtry Road, Tinsley guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm relating to an attack carried out against Raja Irfan Khan at a property in Tinsley in May last year.

Latif, aged 30, went on trial for attempted murder relating to the attack, but Judge Julian Goose QC instructed jurors to find him guilty on the lesser charge of wounding with intent when the verdict was returned on Wednesday.

Giving evidence, Mr Khan told Sheffield Crown Court how following a night of drinking with Latif the atmosphere suddenly changed while they were his cousin Mir Sultan Khan's flat in Bawtry Road, Tinsley.

He explained how after the three men went to the shop together on returning his cousin brought an axe out of the kitchen and handed it to Latif.

He said: "He was basically saying I'm going to get you, I'm going to hurt you."

Aksar Latif then proceeded to hit Mr Khan around the head and the legs with the axe, delivering particularly heavy blows to his legs, the court heard.

Mr Khan said: "I was trying to move out of the way of the axe, I was trying to move from one seat to another. I was being hit by the axe, I was just trying to get myself out of the way but I kept getting pushed back.

He added: "I was terrified, I didn't know if I would get out of there alive."

During his evidence Latif said he and Mr Khan, who have been friends since childhood, consumed five bottles of vodka and a gram of cocaine during the course of the evening on May 27 last year.

Latif claimed he had not been involved with the attack and had simply attempted to act as the peacemaker between Raja Irfan Khan and Mir Sultan Khan, aged 51.

Judge Goose sentenced Latif to 10 years in prison.

The jury found Mir Sultan Khan, of Bawtry Road, Tinsley not guilty to one count of attempted murder.

They also acquitted Latif, along with his cousin Tasadique Mohammed of Norborough Road, Tinsley of one count of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice in relation to claims Latif and Mr Mohammed attempted to bribe Mr Khan into changing his statement with the offer of a £10,000 cash reward.