Brothers found guilty over death of young footballer in Brighton hit-and-run

Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado

Two brothers have been found guilty after three men were hit by a BMW driving on the wrong side of the road by Brighton Pier.

Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado, 20, died in hospital after being hit by the borrowed car while two of his friends survived with severe life-changing injuries.

Iftekhar Khondaker, 34, was found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder while Irfan Khondaker, 27, was found guilty of assisting an offender at Hove Crown Court on Monday afternoon (25 January).

The brothers, from Mitcham, south London, were in the car in the early hours of December 1 2019 when it sent the three men flying into the air, their trial heard.

A large area of Marine Parade in the East Sussex city was cordoned off while officers investigated the incident Credit: ITV Meridian

The BMW then drove off at speed leaving Mr Delgado and his friends "strewn across the road" while those who escaped the crash reacted in horror, the jury was told.

Later that night, the brothers got into an Uber taxi that Irfan had called and travelled back to their home in Mitcham, according to the prosecution.

The pair had denied the offences but were convicted by jurors after more than 16 hours of deliberation.

The two charges of attempted murder were decided by majority verdict.

Mr Delgado had been a promising young footballer for West Sussex-based Loxwood FC, who play in the Southern Combination Premier Division.

After his death, the club paid tribute to him, saying: "We will miss his cheeky smile, energy and jokes - such a lovely lad to have around the club."

Sentencing is expected to take place on Thursday 4 February.