Jailed for life – the Manchester gang member who evaded justice for the murder of his friend for almost a decade

Abdul Qadar Ahsan (21/06/1996) of Upper Chorlton Road in Old Trafford was today sentenced to life in prison – with the recommendation to spend at least 28 years behind bars - after being found guilty of the 2015 murder of Andre Antonio Marshall in Urmston yesterday at Manchester Crown Court.

Ahsan was extradited from Pakistan in January of this year, after going on the run shortly after the murder in May 2015.

Andre was shot seven times and killed at Manor Park, in Urmston in the early hours of Wednesday 20 May 2015 and was subsequently discovered in a car park later that morning.

We initially brought Ahsan in for questioning as a witness to Andre’s murder on Friday 22 May 2015, after Ahsan himself had contacted us to say that he had been in Andre’s company the night before his body was found.

He was then brought in again, this time as a suspect, for questioning on Tuesday 26 May 2015, after forensic examination of Andre’s vehicle revealed blood, gunshot residue and damage to the interior caused by bullets.

He was released on bail whilst further investigations were carried out, but Ahsan immediately boarded a plane to Pakistan – a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the UK.

Two of his accomplices received prison terms in 2016 for assisting an offender.

The police investigation into the murder of Andre, was a complex, complicated investigation, utilising CCTV footage and mobile phone cell site analysis to link Ahsan and his accomplices and to place them all in the Urmston area prior to and after the time of the killing – specifically Manor Park.

The team combed through hours and hours of CCTV footage, with specialists helping to analyse the data of the mobile phones of all involved to see if there was a connection between them. In some CCTV footage Ahsan can be seen running away from where Andre lost his life.

On the day of the murder, Ahsan and Andre had travelled together to Urmston, under the pretence of seeing someone who was located near Manor Park.

Witnesses reported hearing a sequence of loud bangs around 12.45am and a light-coloured BMW estate vehicle reversing down Manor Park. A man was seeing getting out of the back passenger door.

He was then seen going over to a parked car and bending down before another loud bang was heard. He then returned to the BMW which sped off from the scene. Andre’s body was found the following morning at the side of the parked car.

DS Chris Doggart of GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “I think the message today is clear: you can run but you can’t hide. Our investigation has always remained focused on finding Ahsan and bringing him to justice. Today, we can say we have done just that.

“This was a horrifically violent crime in which a young man has sadly lost his life. We do not condone the use of firearms on the streets of Manchester and as such, today’s result was right and just.

“Our thoughts remain with Andre’s family. They have remained brave and stoic throughout, although reliving the events of that night and the tragic details of what happened to their son has been heartbreaking for them.

“We have remained dedicated to them, in bringing Ahsan to court to face justice and we hope that today’s result allows them to begin their healing process.

“In the nine years since Andre’s murder, our work hasn’t stopped, as we have fought to get Ahsan back to the UK.

“It is a lengthy process trying to get someone extradited from Pakistan, as the UK does not have an official extradition treaty with them. However, in some cases, you can contact the relevant authorities through the UK’s Home Office and ask them to have someone returned.

“And that’s exactly what we did in this case. We worked with the CPS, Home Office and NCA Extradition Unit to prepare the paperwork, with our help, and submit it to Pakistan authorities.

“They then launched a search to try and find him and apprehended him in their country in 2017 and arrested him for the purposes of extradition. He then lodged a number of appeals and was subsequently released on bail – still in Pakistan.

“Unfortunately, he skipped bail again and went on the run once more. He was finally located, still in Pakistan, in 2022 for breaching his bail conditions. The extradition process began, and he landed in Heathrow Airport and transferred to Manchester Custody in January of this year.

“Time and distance are not barriers to justice. Anyone who thinks that they have a shot a freedom by skipping the country is sorely mistaken. We will find you.”

During sentencing, Andre’s mother spoke to the court. She said: “Losing a child is devastating for any parent. 

“Losing your only child in evil and brutal circumstances has a double impact. Over the past nine years, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotions, not knowing if the defendant was ever going to be extradited to the UK.

“However, I never gave up on hope and to be honest, the police didn’t too. I commend them for all their hard work and determination to bring this man before the courts.”