By Samantha Jones-
One of the accused in a murder trial was recorded admitting that he told a co-defendant to burn his clothes after the murder. Mr Qayum revealed during a visit from his mum, sister and brother in custody on November 26, 2021, that he had asked Arbaz Khan to burn his clothes.
Their recorded conversation consisted of one of the female visitors telling Mr Qayum that a “Zadan” was worried about Mr Khan because he told him “they got his clothes or something”. Mr Qayum replied: “Cheeky b**tard, I told him to burn them.”
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The revelation was made during a murder trial of Kian Tordoff(pictured)on Wednesday in which six men are on trial for murder abandoned two cars, hid two knives and one defendant told another to burn his clothes, according to the prosecution. The trial of all six males six males at Bradford Crown Court for the alleged murder of 19-year-old Kian Tordoff on October 10 last year, in John Street.
The men are also charged with the attempted murder of Matthew Page – who is also known as Matthew Lowther.
Arbaz Khan, 22, Aizaz Khan, 27, both of Yew Tree Avenue in the Daisy Hill area, Amaad Shakiel, 20, of Leaventhorpe Lane, Adam Qayum, 23, of Avenel Road, Allerton, Mohammed Adil Hussain, 18, of Kite Mews, Lower Grange, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named due to his age, all deny murder and attempted murder.
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The 17-year-old has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Tordoff on “diminished responsibility” on account of his mental health at the time and also pleaded guilty to wounding with intent in relation to Mr Lowther.
Mr Lowther and Mr Tordoff got involved with a large altercation as the men were returning to a white Seat Leon they had arrived in, with the latter fighting Mr Hussain and kicking the car, while the former smashed the windscreen of the car with a bottle and then also hit someone with it, according to the prosecution.
Less than half-an-hour later, a BMW X5 pulled up on John Street-Rawson Square next to a group of females and males. Men with knives got out and began chasing them, the court heard.Within 30 seconds, Mr Tordoff had been fatally stabbed multiple times, with Mr Lowther fighting for his life with two wounds, and the men made a getaway in the BMW.
Police Constable Richard Brook – who coordinated the CCTV for the trial – was cross-examined, pathologist, Kirsten Hope, took to the witness box to discuss Mr Tordoff and Mr Lowther’s injuries and a list of agreed facts were read out. The 17-year-old accepts he took two knives to John Street, while Arbaz Khan also admits to taking a blade to the scene.
Mark McKone QC, for the prosecution said last week that at least three in the BMW were armed, with a machete and very large knives.
Police recovered two blades in the course of their investigation, which was hidden away at different addresses. A hunting or bowing style knife was found in a sheath under the flooring in the first-floor bathroom airing cupboard of an address on Yew Tree Avenue, the known home address on court records for Arbaz and Aizaz Khan.
This was found in the afternoon of the day Mr Tordoff was killed.
A month later, on November 16, 2021, officers searched the home address of Mr Qayum, in Avenel Road, and discovered a dagger with a bent blade in cupboarded crawl space in the loft of the house.
The court heard how the Seat Leon was found in a communal car park of Mallard Court at 12.30pm the day after the stabbings, after police officers were patrolling the Allerton area due to numerous reports about vehicles being driven there.
The vehicle was insured to Arbaz Khan and had a cracked windscreen, with a dint to the rear.
The BMW left the scene at around 5.45am and CCTV shows at 6.05am, six people got out the BMW and left it on Waterlily Road – a narrow backstreet – and move off on foot.
This was after the vehicle had previously navigated an alleyway before reversing out of it.
It was left there abandoned for just four days until police seized it at 12.10am on October 14 after their attention was drawn to an out of place BMW.
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