A 23-year-old motorist has been handed a life sentence after using his car as a deadly weapon to murder a vulnerable man following a late-night dispute in Lancashire.
Muhammad Haarith accelerated his VW Passat into 44-year-old Matthew Weller at 10pm on 22 April after the victim lowered his trousers and rubbed his bare bottom across the bonnet.
The dispute in Accrington escalated rapidly after Mr Weller exchanged words with a passenger inside the vehicle. Enraged by the act, Haarith surged forward, knocking the vulnerable man off balance and beneath the front wheels.
Fatal injuries sustained under vehicle
CCTV footage played in court captured the horrifying sequence of events. Haarith drove off while Mr Weller was still positioned on the bonnet, sending him tumbling onto the road surface.
The vehicle dragged Mr Weller along the street and into Birch Street, where the rear wheels rolled directly over him. He was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead three hours later at 1am on 23 April.
A post-mortem examination confirmed that he died from multiple injuries consistent with being hit and dragged beneath a motor vehicle.
Haarith left Matthew in the road with horrendous injuries, choosing to drive off and abandon his car, one which he had used as a deadly weapon.
Steve Harry, Detective Chief Inspector
Cover-up executed after deadly hit
Rather than seeking medical help for the dying man, Haarith took swift, deliberate steps to evade law enforcement. He smashed his iPhone and threw it into a nearby gutter to prevent officers from tracking his movements.
The killer then abandoned his Passat and went to buy a takeaway meal. He only turned himself in at Greenbank Police Station in Blackburn after learning that Mr Weller had died.
Prosecutor Tim Evans told the jury that the act was born of anger rather than an accident.
“Immediately prior to being struck by the vehicle, Mr Weller had been shouting at the occupants of the car, and perhaps in particular Mr Haarith. There comes a point where he partly drops his trousers and appears to rub his buttocks on the bonnet of the car, a matter of feet away from the defendant.”
Life sentence handed to killer
Haarith, who had admitted manslaughter, was found guilty of murder by a jury at Preston Crown Court. Judge Robert Altham sentenced him to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and 5 days, taking into account 177 days spent on remand.
The judge stated that the victim, while vulnerable, was loved by his family and suffered an agonizing, terrifying death that was entirely avoidable.
Following the sentencing, Mr Weller’s family expressed relief at the verdict.
“We are pleased the jury saw through Haarith’s calculated behaviour and found him guilty of murder.
“The decisions Haarith took that night led to Matthew losing his life in a violent and undignified way. Haarith left Matthew in the road without a care or concern for him, taking steps to avoid the police whilst Matthew was fighting for his life.
“No sentence will ever feel long enough or bring Matthew back, but we are content that justice has been served for him.”