Kian Tordoff murder trial: Every word from the judge's sentencing speech in full

He will also serve 8 years concurrently, for the wounding with intent of Matthew Page, known as Matthew Lowther.

His brother Arbaz Khan was sentenced to 11 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Mr Tordoff and given a consecutive sentence of 3 years for the unlawful wounding of Matthew Page.

READ MORE: 

• LIVE: Kian Tordoff’s teenage murderer is sentenced
• Dramatic end to murder trial as jury returns mixed verdicts on six defendants
• Psychotic murderer 'sought to hide behind his mental disorder' after revenge attack
• Judge says 'clear message of deterrence' must be sent out to young people using knives for revenge
• AS IT HAPPENED: Kian Tordoff murder trial VERDICTS IN

Mohammed Adil Hussain was sentenced to 7.5 years' imprisonment for the manslaughter of Kian Tordoff and a given consecutive sentence of 18 months for the unlawful wounding of Matthew Page.

This afternoon at Bradford Crown Court, Judge Richard Mansell QC sentenced the three after they were found guilty by a jury yesterday.

Aizaz Khan, 27, of Yew Tree Avenue, Sheryar and Arbaz’s older brother, Amaad Shakiel, 20, of Leaventhorpe Lane, and Adam Qayum, 23, of Avenel Road, Allerton, were acquitted of murder and attempted murder.

Judge Richard Mansell QC

These are the sentencing remarks in full made by Judge Richard Mansell QC.

"Kian Tordoff was just 19 years of age when he went for a night out in Bradford on Saturday 9th October last year.

"He never made it home that night, his life cut short in a mindless knife attack carried out by you, Sheryar Khan, encouraged by you Arbaz Khan and Mohammed Adil Hussain.

"By your actions, you have robbed his mother Danielle Laycock of her first-born child and caused unimaginable grief to her and to Kian’s two younger brothers and his sister.

"Matthew Page, also 19 and one of Kian’s best friends, was fortunate to escape with his life on that same night out.

"His mental health has been and will continue to be hugely affected, both as a result of what happened to him, but also as result of watching his friend Kian die in front of him.

'Violence was forseeable'

"Arbaz Khan, you bear a heavy responsibility for what happened on that night.

"As Kian Tordoff and Matthew Page started to make their way home shortly after 5am on Sunday 10th October, you were cruising the streets of Bradford in your borrowed Seat Leon, with Amaad Shakiel, Adam Qayum and you Mohammed Adil Hussain, and your uncle, passengers in that vehicle.

"As you drove down Westgate, Arbaz Khan, you spotted a young man called Abdullah, nicknamed Chaser, standing by the bus shelter with his girlfriend.

"Chaser was someone who had been causing trouble for your younger brother Sheryar, who at this time was at home in bed, asleep.

"You decided to park up your car and approach him to try and resolve the problem.

"In doing so, you must have realised that this might end in violence, given the time of the morning and the fact that he was likely to be intoxicated with drink, drugs or both.

"Sure enough, as you raised your hand to greet him, he stepped back and punched you in the face. You chased and caught him and together, you both fell into the road and fought with each other.

"You quickly got the better of him and punched him a couple of times whilst you knelt on top of him, before a male pulled you off him.

"It was entirely foreseeable that others who knew Chaser, and others who had nothing to do with either of you, would join in the violence.

"This is what happens week in, week out on the streets of many cities, Bradford being no exception, when large numbers of intoxicated young people are on the streets after a night out, and someone starts a fight.

Arbaz Khan 'took the law into his own hands'

"The violent scenes that followed were disgraceful, and it is clear, Arbaz Khan, that you were a victim of physical assaults, abuse and threats.

"However, I am satisfied that your evidence to the jury that Chaser and others threatened to burn your house down that night was a lie.

"Had such threats been made, there is no way you would have left your wife and children alone and vulnerable at home whilst you travelled to Bradford to get your phone.

"The fact is that you were extremely angry and wound up as a result of what had happened on Westgate, as evidenced by the way you got back into your Seat and drove recklessly towards some pedestrians who were standing on or near the pavement.

"You had suffered an injury to your leg, as well as an injury to your right ear which was bleeding, and which you told the jury has since led to a partial loss of hearing.

"You had also suffered damage to the windscreen of the car you were borrowing from a friend.

"However, the worst aspect of all this was you had been humiliated and you were not prepared to let it lie, or involve the police.

"Instead, you decided to take the law into your own hands and return to Bradford and take revenge on those responsible.

"You soon realised you had lost your phone and in the two calls made by your older brother Aizaz Khan to your friend Amaad Shakiel, you learnt that your Sheryar’s ex-girlfriend had picked it up and was keeping it for you.

"I have no doubt that it was you who asked Aizaz to drive his BMW X5 to where you live with your wife and children, so that you and the others could switch vehicles.

"It was there that you entered your home and fetched a machete which you intended to take back to Bradford and use against those who were responsible.

'You had a weapon in either hand'

"I am also satisfied that you, Mohammed Adil Hussain, armed yourself with a knife which you took from your home on the same street.

"Although I consider Arbaz Khan to have taken the lead in deciding to return to Bradford, I am sure that the fact that you had been assaulted by Matthew Page as you got back into the Seat played some part in your decision to take that knife back to Bradford and take part in the attack.

"Where you got your machete and knife from, Sheryar Khan, is not entirely clear.

"The machete was kept in a sheath which you managed to drop at the point where you exited the BMW on Upper Piccadilly.

"It had a spot of your blood on it which suggests strongly that it was your weapon and taken by you from Yew Tree Avenue before you left.

"If you did take it from your home, along with the knife which you told the psychiatrists you had taken from the kitchen, you must have tucked them inside the waistband of your trousers.

"Ultimately, it really does not matter where you got your weapons from. The fact is that by the time you jumped out of the BMW on Upper Piccadilly, you had a weapon in either hand.

"We’ve got you now you little b*******"

"Aizaz Khan drove you to Bradford where he stopped briefly outside the Go Local Extra store to collect the phone from Reanna Dacres.

"You spoke aggressively towards her in that brief exchange, Arbaz Khan, through your open window.

"Having collected the phone, your brother drove just a few metres into Rawson Square, where Matthew Page, Kian Tordoff and some of their friends were messing about with pieces of cardboard they had found lying in the street.

"I am satisfied that it was you, Arbaz Khan, who shouted words to the effect “we’ve got you now you little b*******” when you recognised some of those involved in the earlier incident.

"Matthew Page and Kian Tordoff will have stood out from the crowd on account of their distinctive mullet-style haircuts, and the fact they look alike.

"You shouted for your brother Aizaz to stop the car and all three of you exited that car, weapons at the ready, as it was still moving.

"Sheryar Khan, you saw Kian Tordoff standing in the middle of the road and when he saw knives and machetes in your hands, he instinctively ran, as did others present, back into Rawson Square.

"You chased him down, catching up with him in the mouth of the junction with Northgate, where he slipped and fell on the raised crossing.

"You then launched a ferocious assault upon him with your two weapons, swinging the knife and the machete alternately at him as he lay defenceless on the road.

'He was running for his life'

"One of the knives went straight through his outstretched right hand which he was holding up in a vain attempt to protect himself.

"A separate thrust of the knife or machete sliced off some of the skin on the inner aspect of his left arm, again likely a defensive injury.

"You managed to inflict four separate and deep stab wounds to the left side of his body, to his neck, to his chest and to his upper left back.

"That fourth stab wound to his back travelled downwards and inwards towards his spine and severed his aorta, the main blood vessel in his body.

"He had no chance of surviving that injury because the internal bleeding was instant and extensive.

"His survival instinct kicked in when you had finished your attack and he jumped to his feet and ran back towards Rawson Square.

"At one point, it was suggested he may have been chasing you, but I am satisfied he was doing no such thing.

"He was running for his life, back to the others in his group, where he threw himself to the floor in front of them and pleaded for help.

"The footage of those moments where he was fighting for his life and his friends were desperately trying to help him will haunt the family of Kian Tordoff and the young people present in Rawson Square that night for many years to come.

Kian Tordoff

Kian fatally wounded

"By now, you had started to run back towards where you had first jumped out of the BMW, but saw Matthew Page run into the roadway.

"You quite deliberately changed direction and ran towards him, stabbing him in the chest with your knife and most probably slashing his stomach with the machete in your other hand in the same motion.

"He too appeared on the footage of Kian Tordoff lying on the ground, utterly bemused at first by what had happened to him, until he felt pain in his stomach area and then a tightness in his chest.

"That stab wound to his chest had penetrated his lung and caused it to collapse and he was very lucky to survive thanks to prompt medical attention at the scene and surgical intervention at hospital.

'Girl feared she was going to die at your hands'

"As for you Arbaz Khan, when you jumped out of that BMW, you initially ran towards a man who was stood in the middle of the road.

"He told you he had nothing to do with things and you accepted this and turned your attention elsewhere.

"You then started chasing a young female called Cameron Wright who has short hair and looks like a boy.

"You chased her around the fixed seating in front of the Silver Fox public house, with your hood up and your machete in your right hand.

"She slipped and fell on the ground and you caught up with her with your machete pointed at her.

"She genuinely feared she was going to die at your hands, but when several girls screamed that she was a girl and to leave her, you did.

"Although you did not stab and injure anyone, your actions in arming yourself, and arranging for your younger brother Sheryar to arm himself, plainly encouraged him to get out of that vehicle and attack one or more of those responsible.

'You encouraged the violence'

"As for you Mohammed Adil Hussain, you willingly armed yourself and jumped out of that car intent on playing your part in the attack.

"You chased Matthew Page into North Parade with your knife pointed at him, although when he backed off you did not pursue him.

"You then turned towards Arbaz Khan who was chasing Cameron Wright and ran towards him with your knife visible in your hand.

"Whilst you did not stab or injure anyone, your actions in arming yourself and jumping out of that BMW simultaneously with Sheryar and Arbaz Khan clearly acted as some further encouragement of Sheryar to commit the attacks he carried out.

"The jury rightly rejected the defence that this was a mobile phone. When you passed it to Adam Qayum as you both ran back towards the BMW, you were plainly asking him to hide it.

No signs of remorse

"Aftermath As for your reaction to what had happened, the CCTV evidence demonstrated that none of you seemed to feel remorseful or even concerned for the welfare of those who had been injured.

"The picture painted by you in evidence, Arbaz Khan, of your younger brother Sheryar, sitting with his head bowed, and then crying, on the journey back to Allerton was wholly misleading, intended to assist you in your defence as much as Sheryar.

"The CCTV footage from moments earlier shows how you and Sheryar jogged back down Upper Piccadilly in a purposeful and controlled manner, meeting up with each other and then jogging back to the BMW which had been parked on Piccadilly.

"As you crossed Upper Piccadilly side by side, Bethany Keenan was stood on the pavement on the other side.

"She heard someone with a higher, younger-sounding voice than the voice that had come from inside the BMW moments earlier, laughing and saying “we’ve killed him.”

"This could only have been you, Sheryar Khan, as you were the only one near to Kian Tordoff when you inflicted the wounds and the only one who would know how seriously you had injured him.

"As you crossed the road just behind Connor Batey, you both strutted past him in an arrogant and aggressive fashion, the weapons still in your hands and ready to use.

"I am satisfied that your priority once you had got back into that car was to get out of the area as quickly as possible and dispose of the weapons somewhere they would never be found.

"The CCTV footage plotting the movements of the BMW proves that you each got rid of those weapons in or near Lister Park The footage of the three of you walking away from the street where Aizaz parked the vehicle, stopping briefly at the Bismillah Roti House to buy soft drinks, then walking home, showed a complete lack of concern or remorse for what had just happened.

Sheryar Khan

Sentencing Sheryar Khan

"Sheryar Khan, the sentence for murder is fixed by law and given your age, the sentence is Detention at Her Majesty’s Pleasure I am obliged to fix a minimum period that you must serve in custody before you are eligible to apply for release on licence.

"Everyone should understand that it is not an automatic right to be released at the end of the minimum period.

"You will only be released if the Parole Board consider it safe to release you, and then when released, you will be on licence for life.

"This means that you are liable to be recalled to prison at any time for breaching the conditions of your licence or reoffending.

"The starting point for that minimum term is set by statute, now paragraph 5A of Schedule 21 of the Sentencing Act 2020, as recently amended by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022.

"Since you were 16 at the time of the killing, and you took a knife and a machete to the scene to use as weapons, the SP is 17 years.

"I consider the ferocity of the assault, which was graphically caught on CCTV footage, is an aggravating factor.

"The presence of other young people who witnessed the violence and the aftermath, including Kian Tordoff dying in front of them, is an aggravating factor.

"As is the disposal of weapons and washing of clothing to conceal evidence.

I do not count premeditation because this has already been taken into account in the choice of minimum term.

"The fact that you seriously wounded another innocent man in a deliberate act of stabbing, however, is a further aggravating factor which justifies upward movement from the starting point.

"This is because I can only pass a concurrent sentence of detention under s250 SA 2020 for this separate, albeit serious offence of wounding with intent.

"As for mitigating factors, whilst I accept that you did not set out with a specific intent to kill Kian Tordoff when you chased him, your assault upon him with two deadly weapons was so ferocious and sustained that I consider that any mitigation to be had from a lack of intent to kill is extinguished altogether.

"As to your mental disorder, I do not regard the psychotic symptoms of hearing voices as significantly reducing your culpability for the killing.

"I listened with care to the evidence of both psychiatrists and I found little evidence that your psychosis had driven your actions on previous occasions, or that it drove your behaviour in committing the offences.

"The jury rightly rejected your claim to both psychiatrists that it was voices in your head that told you to take a knife from home, and then to stab Kian Tordoff.

"The only voices commanding you to behave as you did came from your older brother, Arbaz.

"However, that is not to say that I ignore your mental disorder altogether.

"It is clear to me that your development as a young man has been seriously affected by your developing mental illness.

"There is no doubt that you have displayed a tendency to act impulsively and without thinking through the consequences of your actions.

"The evidence that you were excluded from school for fighting, and have struggled to resist getting involved in fights whilst on remand, is significant, as is the fact you were exposed to violence in the home as a child.

"I also consider the influence that your older brother Arbaz Khan will have had on you in this incident cannot be under-estimated.

"To that extent, I do regard the combination of age, immaturity and your mental disorder as reducing your culpability by a significant degree.

"Balancing those aggravating factors against the mitigating factors, I have decided that the minimum term you must spend in custody before you are eligible to apply for release on licence is 16 years.

"Since you have served 274 days on remand to date, I deduct those from the figure of 16 years and that means the minimum term is 15 years and 91 days.

"As for the wounding with intent of Matthew Page, this will be marked with a concurrent sentence of detention under s250 SA 2020.

"Category A1 offence, due to the highly dangerous weapons used and the life-threatening injury inflicted.

"SP for adult offender, 12 years, range 10 to 16 years.

"Significant reduction is required due to your youth and immaturity.

"Sentence is detention under s250 SA 2020 of 8 years detention under s250 SA 2020, to run concurrently to the life sentence on Count 1.

Arbaz Khan

Arbaz Khan sentencing

Applying the sentencing guidelines for the offence of Unlawful Act Manslaughter, this offence plainly falls into Category B, where death was caused in the course of an unlawful act which carried a high risk of death or GBH.

"I place the offence in that category because you intentionally encouraged your brother to get out of that BMW on Upper Piccadilly and attack one or more of those involved in the earlier incident on Westgate.

"As his older brother, you must have known what Sheryar was like, and that he was prone to fighting, and so it was highly likely that he would not control his urges and refrain from using those weapons, which you plainly knew he had in his hands when he jumped from that car.

"Therefore, this planned attack on Kian and Matthew’s group was one where it must have been obvious to you that it carried a high risk of death or GBH.

"SP 12 years, range 8 to 16 years I do not count the taking of knives and machetes as an aggravating factor as this would be to double count that factor.

"I do regard the element of premeditation as an aggravating factor, even though it was for just a few minutes.

"The presence of young people who witnesses this appalling violence and the death of Kian Tordoff is another aggravating factor.

"As the oldest of the three who armed themselves, and the principal victim in the incident on Westgate, you clearly played a leading role in this offence, by organising this revenge trip to Bradford and the arming of yourself and others The disposal of weapons after the event is a further aggravating factor As for mitigation factors, I take into account your relatively young age, your previous good character, including evidence of positive good character Sentence is 11 years imprisonment.

"The offence of Unlawful Wounding falls into category A1, with SP of 4 years and range 3 to 4.5 years Allowing for totality, consecutive sentence of 3 years.

"Total sentence is 14 years imprisonment You will serve two thirds of that sentence, at which point you will be released on licence.

"Once on licence if you breach the conditions or reoffend you will be recalled on licence to serve out some or all the balance of the sentence.

Mohammed Adil Hussain

Mohammed Adil Hussain sentencing

"Much of what I have said to Arbaz Khan applies to you.

"This is a category B offence of Unlawful Act Manslaughter. When three young men jump from a vehicle, each armed with a knife or a machete or both, and attack a group of other males, there is a high risk that one of you will use those knives to inflict death or GBH, regardless of whether you intended that to be the case or not.

"I do acknowledge that you played a lesser role to that of Sheryar and Arbaz Khan. Your actions at the scene displayed a lack of thought as to what you would do once you jumped from that vehicle.

"Just as in the Westgate incident, you displayed a distinct lack of appetite for the fight once it came to it I have regard to your age and immaturity.

"You were only 17 at the time, although you turned 18 a month after the offence.

"You do have one conditional caution when younger for possessing a bladed article, although this was a long time ago when you were just 10 and you have remained out of trouble since, which is a factor in your favour.

"I must apply the youth guidelines in your case and reflect the fact you were 17 at the time of the offences I reduce the sentence that you would have received had you been an adult by a third.

"Sentence is 7.5 years. Consecutive sentence of 18 months for the unlawful wounding.

"9 years detention in a YOI."