Cousins to be sentenced in connection with murder of Weston-super-mare man in 'horrific attack'
Two cousins are to be sentenced in Bristol next month in connection with the 'horrific' death of a man in Weston-super-Mare earlier this year.
47-year-old Mikhail Hanid died days after he was found with stab wounds in Ridgeway Avenue just after midnight on Saturday 27 June.
Curtis Ford, 28, pleaded guilty to murder on Wednesday 23 December following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.
His cousin, 30-year-old Samuel Ford, was found guilty of manslaughter.
Both men will be sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on 7 January.
The court heard Samuel Ford had his bike stolen a couple of days before the attack.
He sent a number of messages to a friend wrongly accusing Mr Hanid of being responsible, despite there being no evidence to support the claims. The messages included racially abusive language and made threats against the 47-year-old.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday 27 June, police received a call reporting a number of men fighting in the Ridgeway Avenue area of Weston-super-Mare.
Officers quickly attended and found Mr Hanid seriously injured, with a number of stab wounds. Despite emergency treatment at the scene, Mr Hanid died in hospital of his injuries three days later.
The Major Crime Investigation Team conducted the murder investigation, while specially trained liaison officers and SARI continue to support Mr Hanid’s family.
Detective Chief Inspector James Riccio said: “Mikhail Hanid was an innocent man who did not know his killers and was subjected to a horrific attack. Neither Curtis Ford nor Samuel Ford have shown any remorse for their actions.
"Curtis only pleaded guilty at the last minute due to the wealth of evidence against him. Samuel desperately tried to cover his tracks and failed to cooperate with police during interviews.
"The abusive racial language used came to light after both men were charged and this has been treated as a hate crime. There is absolutely no place in society for such abhorrent views and we’re grateful for SARI’s assistance during our investigation.
"Mikhail’s family and friends have spoken glowingly about him and I’d like to thank them for their support while this investigation was carried out as we sought to achieve justice.
"Our thoughts and sympathies remain with them and we will continue to offer them any support they need.”
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