Best friend of fatally-wounded Sheffield solicitor Khuram Javed denies accidentally shooting him

Sheffield Crown Court has heard during an ongoing trial that a 19-year-old man, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and two 20-year-old men Tinashe Kampira and Atif Mohammed, all from Sheffield, have denied murdering Sheffield solicitor Khuram Javed after he was shot three times and stabbed on a footpath near Bramall Lane, Sheffield.

Mr Javed’s friend Kais Raja, said he had alerted Mr Javed and three other friends, including Nabeel Abdul, after Mr Raja had claimed to have seen the three defendants acting suspiciously around his parked car near Hill Street.

The court heard two witnesses said they saw a group of five males – which had included Mr Javed, Mr Raja and Mr Abdul - pursuing three males before they heard gunshots.

Mr Abdul claimed he had seen the 19-year-old defendant turn and start firing a gun but defence barrister Frances Hertzog, representing Mr Kampira, claimed Mr Abdul had been carrying a gun in a pouch or manbag and had fired this weapon as a warning shot and had accidentally killed his best friend Khuram Javed.

Ms Hertzog said: “I have got to suggest that you were so filled with adrenaline following this chase, possibly under the influence of something, you charged-up and accidentally shot your best friend.”

She also claimed Mr Abdul who had received a gunshot wound to his foot had shot himself accidentally, which he denied.

Mr Abdul claimed he and his friends had been following the three defendants to speak to them and he did not know what the problem was and they had not scared anybody.

He also claimed he did not have a gun, did not accidentally shoot Mr Javed, did not had a pouch and could not recall having a manbag.

Giving evidence as a witness, Mr Abdul said: “I had not done anything to my best friend.”

He said he had no issue with the defendants, he had not been under the influence of anything and he and his friends had not been hunting the men.

Ms Hertzog also claimed during the pursuit and before the shooting her client Mr Kampira was tripped by Mr Javed, who had a knife, and they had been involved in a scuffle which Mr Abdul said was a “pack of lies” and “fantasy stuff”.

The 19 year-old man and Mr Kampira, whose address cannot be reported for legal reasons, have pleaded not guilty to murder and not guilty to possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Atif Mohammed, of Sharrow Lane, Sharrow, Sheffield, has also denied murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Two other defendants, Sohidul Mohamed, aged 24, and Saydul Mohammed, aged 22, both of The Greenway, Greenhill, Sheffield, have pleaded not guilty to assisting an offender after claims they had transported the 19-year-old to a safe house in Reading after the shooting.

The judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, told the jury she has already found Atif Mohammed unfit to be tried due to his learning difficulties so their role concerning him will be to simply ascertain whether he did the acts alleged against him or not.

The trial continues.