Teenager jailed for death of restaurant owner in Stockport

A teenage boy has been jailed after admitting the manslaughter of a restaurant owner who was hit by his own car while making a delivery in Stockport earlier this year.

The 15-year-old from Brinnington - who cannot be named for legal reasons - pleaded guilty to the incident in January which saw him get in the car of 53-year-old Mohammed Islam before killing him whilst driving away.

A second teenager was also sentenced today (Monday 6 September) at Manchester Crown Court for his role in the conspiracy to commit theft that fatal evening.

It follows a nine-month investigation by our Major Incident Team which saw detectives trawl through extensive hours of footage, speak to dozens of witnesses and take five suspects to court in connection with Mohammed's death.

On the evening of Friday 8 January 2021, Mohammed was delivering a takeaway order in the Romiley area to assist his delivery staff with the high demand they were experiencing that night.

After arriving at the address near the junction of Lyme Grove and Hazel Avenue shortly after 9pm, his silver Mercedes-Benz C Class - which his family had bought for him as a wedding anniversary gift - was stolen by the 15-year-old who drove the car away whilst Mohammed was running after the vehicle as it sped off.

The court heard that the teenager and a fellow associate - Connor Read, 19 - had been part of a group in a blue van looking to thieve in the area that night.

Mohammed suffered critical injuries while attempting to stop his car and was taken to hospital where he sadly died two days later.

A team of detectives at Nexus House were assigned to the inquiry and specialist officers were dedicated to supporting Mohammed's family through the most devastating time.

Meticulous enquiries uncovered the 15-year-old had taken a picture later that night of the Mercedes he had stolen, appearing to boast about the theft to his friends on social media.

Further work with forensics and CCTV saw detectives prove the three were in the area at the time and that it was the 15-year-old who stole the vehicle that fatally struck Mohammed.

Today Mohammed's killer was sentenced to four years and nine months; and Read, of Chain Bar Way, Mottram, was ordered to serve 13 months suspended for two years.

Detective Inspector Lee Shaw, of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "Mohammed's death had such a profound impact on not just his family who thought the world of him, but also the community that he was such a prominent part of.

"Our investigative team have known from the outset the importance of catching all those involved in Mohammed's tragic death and ensuring that we do all we can to try and get the justice that his loved one deserve.

"Mohammed's killer may have intended on stealing a car rather than a life that night, but that does not reduce the damage that he caused by an act of brazen criminality that ultimately saw a man lose his life in dreadful circumstances.

"My thoughts today remain with Mohammed's family and we will continue to support them and try and get them all the answers they deserve as this investigation goes onto its next stage later this year, and while they will never get closure I hope they feel some level of justice now that their loved one's killer is behind bars."