Two jailed for racially-motivated killing of Rotherham grandfather

A 30-year-old man has been told he must serve a minimum of 32 years in prison for the "sickening" racist murder of an 81-year-old man as he walked to his mosque.

Dales Jones was jailed for life at Sheffield Crown Court for the murder of pensioner Mushin Ahmed.

Another 30-year-old man, Damien Hunt, was jailed for 14 years after he was found guilty of Mr Ahmed's manslaughter.

The pensioner was punched, kicked and stamped as he made his way to prayers at the mosque in Rotherham in the early hours of August 10 last year.

A jury heard that Jones flew into a "raging fury" following a day and evening of drinking and taking drugs and accused Mr Ahmed of being a "groomer".

Prosecutors said Jones had become agitated, violent and aggressive due to an issue concerning his partner's son's father.

He had left the home he shared with his partner on Norwood Street, Rotherham, at 10am the previous morning and spent the day and night drinking Sambuca and Southern Comfort, and taking cocaine and diazepam, the court heard.

A short time before the fatal attack, Jones racially abused an Asian taxi driver, the jury was told.

Around 10 minutes later, Mr Ahmed emerged on to Doncaster Road. Mr Robertson said:

Mr Ahmed was found by a passer-by two hours after the attack and was taken to hospital, where he died 11 days later, on August 21.

He suffered extensive head and facial injuries and had the imprint of Jones's trainer across the front of his face.

Jones, of East Bawtry Road, Rotherham, was found guilty of murder last week. Hunt, of Doncaster Road, Rotherham, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter on Monday.

Detective Chief Inspector Victoria Short described it as a 'brutal and unprovoked assault that sent shockwaves through the local community':

Click below to watch Katie Oscroft's report from Sheffield Crown Court: