By Eric King-
A man arrived at Peterborough-court, charged with Killing a Father over a £50 Pizza.
Ali qasemi, 45, a father of two children, was punched and killed by an idiot who either could not afford to pay the right price or did not want to pay it.
25 years old Joe Lawson, provided a false address and was planning to snatch the pizzas and run off without paying, the court heard. After Lawson delivered a telling blow to Qasemi’s head, the pizza man fell and hit his head on the pavement after the one-punch attack. He died two days later, the court heard.
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Joel Lawson, 25, admitted manslaughter and robbery at the beginning of the trial, whilst the co-defendant, Mark Lintott denied the charge.
Lawson, of Norwich, told the court the group of friends had been drinking lager and using cocaine at Lintott’s flat in Shrewsbury Court, Peterborough, most of that Saturday. When hunger hit him, he pulled some food menus out of a drawer and phoned Pizza Hut in the early hours of Sunday, May 8, Lawson said.
“He asked if anyone wanted to chip in,” said Lawson.
“They said they didn’t fancy no food.
“He didn’t mention nothing about paying for it.
“He said he was going to snatch it and run off with it.”
Lawson described people in the flat laughing as Lintott called for the takeaway order, and said Lintott asked him to come outside as “back-up” in case the delivery man had someone else with him.
Lintott provided a house number in his street that did not exist “so there was no comeback to his address”, Lawson said.
GIGGLING AT THE PIZZA MAN
Peterbourough court
Lawson admitted seeing the pizza delivery man, Mr Qasemi, standing by his car and facing away from them.
They were “giggling” and Lintott was “telling (him) to shush” as they approached Mr Qasemi together, the court heard.
“Just as we met him he turned around and I threw a punch,” Lawson told a shocked court. What a cruel thing to do to an innocent unsuspecting man, just doing his job. Mr Qasemi’s widow wept through much of the hearing and screamed at Lawson as he described the punch, with Lintott in the secure dock at the back of the court.
“Why you did that?” she yelled.
“You evil people.
“You don’t deserve to be a father.
“Burn in hell, you’re evil.”
She was escorted out of the court and offered tissues.
Lawson said Lintott had taken the pizzas back to the flat as Mr Qasemi was on the floor, following a single punch to his face which caused him to fall backwards.
He said he got back to the flat just before Lintott.
“Everyone was sort of laughing at the time,” he said.
“Someone said ‘I can’t believe you’ve done it’.
“He (Lintott) said ‘he banged him’ or ‘he dropped him’ or something like that.”
Asked why he was giving evidence, Lawson said:
“I’m responsible and the family deserve a bit of justice.
“I made a huge mistake and this is the only thing I thought I could do to right that wrong.
“I know it’s not a lot, but it’s all I could do being in prison and everything else.”
Lawson said he had planned to take his partner and children to the beach at Great Yarmouth on Saturday but went on a binge in Peterborough instead when Lintott called him on Friday.
The prosecution says that although Lawson threw the punch, both he and Lintott were “equally responsible” as they hatched the plan together.
Lawson said he had previously seen Lintott jump out of a taxi and run off without paying and fight with friends and nephews.The trial continues.