Ex-Rochdale player jailed

Guilty: Raphale Evans has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

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Former Rochdale football club defender Raphale Evans has been jailed for his part in an attack on a man who was lured to his death in Rusholme.

Evans, 19, who lives in Longsight, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder. Five others pleaded guilty to violent disorder, while Shah Mohammed Sykendar Ali pleaded guilty to murder and Section 18 Assault (wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm) and was sentenced to life and ordered to serve a minimum of 17-and-a-half years in prison.

Mohamed Kaleem Rafeek, known as Kaleem, was found with multiple stab wounds in March this year. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Another man, 22, was found with multiple stab wounds and taken to hospital.

Both men were lured to Birchfields Road in Manchester after agreeing to try to resolve an earlier dispute.

As soon as they arrived they were assaulted.

Detective Superintendent Julian Ross, said: "This was a pre-mediated, savage and callous attack on two men who were unarmed and outnumbered.

"Kaleem and his friend met with some of the defendants in good faith and in an attempt to resolve an earlier dispute, unaware that all along the plan was to get them to an isolated area so they could be attacked.

"The ferocity of the attack levelled at the victims, especially by Sykendar Ali, was frenzied and sustained.

"Kaleem was an intelligent, industrious and loving family man who was working several jobs to get himself through college.

"His family are still struggling to come to terms, not only with his death, but the manner in which he was killed. I hope today's sentences will help them in some small way move on from this tragedy.

"I must also commend the actions of Kaleem's friend in trying to rescue him from what was effectively an angry mob.

"He has also provided vital evidence to this inquiry and it is only due to the skill of medical staff and good fortune he was not also killed."

CPS reviewing lawyer, Zahra Baqri, said: “This case has been extremely stressful and upsetting for the family of Kaleem Rafeek and the friend who went to his aid. The CPS and GMP have worked together effectively as a Prosecution Team to ensure that these seven men have been brought to justice for their crimes.”

Kaleem's father, Ismail Mohamed Rafeek, speaking on behalf of Kaleem's mother, Fathima Fuzna and his two sisters, Thahira and Humairah, said: "Our lives have been torn apart and our feelings can never truly be reflected in any statement.

"We have been robbed of a golden son. Kaleem had a big heart, was a devote Muslim and excellent student.

"He was extremely hard working and fitted in two jobs around his studies. He was working hard to become an electrician.

"He gave to charity and used the money he earned to help support our family.

"Kaleem was honest, sensible, trustworthy and a very friendly person.

"He would never harm anyone and did not to deserve to die in such an awful way.

"All seven men are cowards and in my eyes as guilty as each other.

"They never intended to apologise to my son and had planned all along to attack him.

"Kaleem was not only my son, he was also my best friend.

"It is not over yet, they have to face the court of God."