Murder accused speaks of moments leading up to fatal attack at traffic lights

A man accused of murder after a man was stabbed to death at a set of traffic lights in Didsbury has spoken of the moments leading up to the incident.

Sadiq Al-Lami died following an incident on Kingsway in East Didsbury. The 30-year-old was behind the wheel of a grey Mercedes E220 when a black Mercedes C200 containing five men parked next to him at the lights.

Minshull Street Crown Court was told Mr Al-Lami and men from the other car got out. He was then knifed 11 times during a subsequent fight, the jury was told.

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Mr Al-Lami was left to die on the road after his alleged attackers fled the scene. Five men are on trial accused of murder. Sultan Bakr, 22, Sikander Babar, 24, his brother, Abdul Babar, 19, Noraiz Kamal, 18, and Yousaf Ahmed, 24, all deny the charge.

Two of the accused later told police that both cars had been ‘racing’ prior to the incident, while prosecutors described it as a ‘high speed pursuit’.

Giving evidence today, July 19, Abdul Babar told jurors that on the morning of the incident, on January 22 this year, he was picked up from the Manchester Royal Infirmary by his friend, Mr Kamal, after attending a hospital appointment with his mum.

He explained to the jury that they were in business together buying ‘cheap phones, fixing them up and selling them’ for a profit of £300. He added that they had discussed ‘expanding’ the business by using Mr Kamal’s contacts.

Mr Babar said that Mr Kamal had a black Mercedes and would often drive them to various contacts for buying the phones. During that afternoon they went to collect ‘eight to ten’ mobile phones before dropping them off at DJ Mobile in Cheetham Hill, the court heard.

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