Pair murdered Uber driver for taking them to the 'wrong' nightclub in 'ferocious, brutal' attack, trial hears

Two drunk revellers battered an Uber driver to death after he had taken them to what they thought was the wrong nightclub, a murder trial was told.

Connor McPartland, 20, and, Martin Treacy, 18, repeatedly punched and kicked Ali Asghar, 38, who died two weeks later in hospital after suffering devastating head injuries in the 'ferocious, brutal and totally unforgiving attack', a prosecutor told a jury.

The pair were said to have been left 'angry' after Mr Asghar picked them up from Oldham town centre to drop them off at Coco's nightclub in Rochdale. But Mr McPartland had actually wanted to meet some girls at Koko's nightclub, in Rochdale town centre, but had keyed in the wrong spelling when he used the Uber app, the court was told.

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McPartland, of Hollins Road, and Treacy, of Gawsworth Close, both Oldham, deny murder. Mr Treacy has admitted manslaughter but denies he intended to cause the taxi driver serious harm, the jurors were told. McPartland also denies manslaughter and two counts of making threats with an offensive weapon.

Opening the case for the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court on Monday afternoon, Guy Gozem QC said Mr Asghar 'had the misfortune' of collecting the two defendants from Oldham town centre on Saturday, October 29, 2021, the Halloween weekend.

The two young men were 'extremely drunk' when they got into the back of Mr Asghar's Mercedes at 4.30am, the jurors were told. But the car stopped opposite a Shell garage on Queensway near Coco's nightclub following an argument on board, according to the prosecutor. The pair had wanted to be taken to Koko's which was in the centre of Rochdale town centre, the court was