Hunted down and stabbed to death

Ilford epitomises suburbia. Most of its dormitory streets, that stretch like tentacles off the Eastern Avenue and the North Circular, contain the sort of semi-detached houses where time has stood still since the Twenties when they were built. This is lace-curtain and pebble-dash land, where properties are adorned by their owners' Mercedes and BMWs. Technically, it's east London. Practically, it is west Essex.

The crucial thing is, Ilford is not violent. Not by standards across London, where 195 people were killed in homicide incidents last year.

It was last May when horror descended upon Ilford. And in the nine months since, nothing has dulled the shock. A young man came to the capital full of hope, expectation and excitement - only for his life to be taken away as the town's only murder victim of 2001.

The gang, some 30-strong, who attacked him had, it would seem, have achieved their objective by kicking him to the ground and robbing him. But, when he pathetically attempted to get to his feet, one of the mob literally stabbed him in the back. The killer then smeared his shirt with the dying man's blood as he and his friends brayed with laughter.

Now an 18-year-old has been acquitted of the murder, by majority verdict, by a jury unaware he had already been charged - and acquitted - of a previous murder. Instead, he was merely found guilty of violent disorder and theft and faces sentencing next month.

The Evening Standard is unable to name him because of a legal ruling, as he faces further charges unconnected with the Ilford killing.

But the verdict has horrified the victim's family to the extent they are planning to leave the UK; it has "appalled" the local MP; and it has left many in grave doubt about the effectiveness of the British legal system. Today, his griefstricken brother said simply: "A sickening crime was committed and someone has got away with murder."

It was only four months after he arrived in Britain from Pakistan, to study for a master's degree in law, that solicitor Sajid Chishti was murdered by a gang of sneering, jeering thugs.

The death of the 33-year-old, described by his older brother Abid as "unworldly", happened on the night of 12 May last year, FA Cup Final day. Sajid left the neat bungalow where he lived with Abid, 35, and Abid's British-born wife in Wanstead Park Road, Redbridge, and drove to Ilford to meet a friend for a Chinese meal.

He never arrived. For Sajid suddenly found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Along Ilford High Road swept a howling mob of teenagers hellbent on mugging. The quietlyspoken, bespectacled lawyer was obvious prey.

For half an hour the gang had terrorised the town centre - hurling abuse at an Asian couple as they helped themselves from their shop - before they spotted Sajid and, in the words of an Old Bailey prosecutor, chased him "like a fox being hunted by a pack of hounds".

Finally, they caught him and fell upon him, snatching his mobile phone and £40. A witness said: "They were screaming and shouting, almost out of control, egging each other on."

Battered and bruised, Sajid staggered to his feet. Then one of the mob stabbed him in the back with a five-inch-blade kitchen knife that punctured a lung. A CCTV camera caught one youth punching the air in jubilation as a result, before, like the cowards they were, they fled in search of another defenceless victim.

Sajid staggered into the entrance of Ilford mainline railway station, where he collapsed, crying for help.

It was here that the situation, if it could conceivably get any worse, did so.

As prosecutor Stewart Jones QC was to tell the Old Bailey, rail staff at Ilford "acted with contemptible indifference, standing by and doing nothing. They said it was because the wounded man was not a member of staff and was not injured on railway property". Sajid was "gasping for breath and unable to move" but commuters who rushed to his aid told the court how shocked and disgusted they were that three station staff refused to help.

Passenger Hassan Adani said: "I saw a man come through the doors into the station and he took about three steps and collapsed. Myself and around four other people stopped to help. He was crying for help.

"There were also three members of the railway staff who stood behind the barriers and would not come into the station area, and said it was not anything to do with them because it had happened outside the station. They said something about being told not to get involved by the managers." Mr Adani said he and another passenger had asked staff for a first aid box and bandages and were told "they were only to be used for staff or injured passengers".

His account was supported in court by student Jonathon Alexander, 17, who said: "He was saying things like 'somebody help me', and 'I need oxygen'. He staggered until he fell and a black man in the foyer went to help. There were two ticket inspectors who did nothing to help."

When passengers raised the alarm two student nurses raced from a nearby pub to help Sajid, but despite their efforts and those of ambulance staff he was pronounced dead at hospital.

The rail company callously tried to distance itself from the allegations. In its statement First Great Eastern said: "First aid facilities are available at Ilford, at the supervisor's office on the platform, but given the seriousness of the injuries what was needed was proper professional help. The staff concerned assisted the police in trying to make the victim as comfortable as possible until the ambulance arrived some 20 minutes later. First Great Eastern and its security contractor refute suggestions staff did nothing to help the victim of the attack." But a spokesman confirmed "a review" had been carried out since the murder.

After the verdict, Abid, a communications centre manager, said of Great Eastern's Ilford staff: "I think there should be a proper inquiry about these people. They should be sacked. Why they did not help a human being is unbelievable."

Speaking about the day his younger brother was murdered, he said: "At about 9pm I came home and he was in his room studying. He planned to go for a Chinese meal with a friend from college.

"At first I was reluctant to let him go because he is only like a child and didn't know much about living in London. I reminded him about the dangers of being in town late at night. I was worried because he was still learning the ways of London. He was wearing a black Reebok jacket. He had on his small metal-framed glasses and carried a mobile phone. He left about 10pm and that was the last I saw of him."

Abid went to bed. "The next thing I knew I was alerted by my other brother at about 2am because Sajid was not home and we were both very worried. We went to Ilford town centre and all the roads were blocked off. I spoke to a police officer about my missing brother and he said, 'Don't worry because somebody has been stabbed but it could not be him because the victim was a European-looking man.'

"We found Sajid's car and searched the restaurants. Eventually we went to the police station at about 3am. At 5am the police took me to the King George hospital and I identified him."

Abid said of Lahore-born Sajid: "He was not a drinker. He was a hard-working family guy who didn't like being involved in any trouble.

"We are discussing whether to remain in this country. Crime is everywhere in the world. In Pakistan you might get mugged, but they don't kill for fun and then laugh about it.

"We have religious values, strong family ties and our children are discouraged from going out on the street at night in gangs. For too long this country has been too soft on offenders and it is getting worse day by day. There is more support in law for criminals than victims."

He added: "I like this country very much. But we have had someone stolen from us for nothing. It was such a waste of life - for us he was so precious. My family has taken this very hard. It has destroyed so many lives - my parents will never recover from this."

Mike Gapes, who is Labour MP for Ilford South and had close dealings with the family, said: "I am appalled by the verdict and I know the family will be devastated. Ilford is not a particularly violent area and I think it was because this was such a vicious attack that the whole borough was deeply shocked.

"I know that the police did a very thorough job and I have nothing but praise for them."