Jury in trial of three Sheffield men accused of killing a delivery man is due to consider verdicts

By Jon Cooper
Published 29th Jan 2023, 14:31 BST
Updated 29th Jan 2023, 14:39 BST
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The jury in the trial of three men who have denied manslaughter after a delivery man died from injuries sustained during a suspected robbery is due to consider its verdicts.

Sheffield Crown Court has heard during a trial which started on January 3 how Callum Rutherford, Jake Lakin and Arron Hartigan have all pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of 40-year-old Nadeem Qureshi who was found fatally injured on wasteland off Station Road, at Deepcar, near Stocksbridge, in Sheffield, on July 24, 2019.

Mr Rutherford, aged 26, Mr Lakin, aged 22, and Mr Hartigan, aged 26, have also all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery after they crossed paths with Mr Quereshi.

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Prosecuting barrister Nicholas Campbell KC said: “Nadeem Qureshi was killed early one summer’s evening in 2019. The prosecution case is that he had been the target of a robbery which did not go according to plan and the result was that he was killed unlawfully.”

Pictured is deceased Nadeem Qureshi, who died aged 40, after he was seriously injured on wasteland off Station Road, at Deepcar, near Stocksbridge, in Sheffield, on July 24, 2019, and later died on the same day.Pictured is deceased Nadeem Qureshi, who died aged 40, after he was seriously injured on wasteland off Station Road, at Deepcar, near Stocksbridge, in Sheffield, on July 24, 2019, and later died on the same day.
Pictured is deceased Nadeem Qureshi, who died aged 40, after he was seriously injured on wasteland off Station Road, at Deepcar, near Stocksbridge, in Sheffield, on July 24, 2019, and later died on the same day.

Mr Campbell added Mr Qureshi was a passenger in a Transit van with a driver and another passenger delivering nitrous oxide canisters which had allegedly been arranged with Mr Rutherford who had allegedly used a false name and had allegedly agreed to pay £3,400.

But when the van arrived at Station House, at Deepcar, it was redirected down a track and allegedly blocked in by a Pejaro jeep driven by Mr Hartigan with passenger Mr Lakin allegedly holding a ‘gun’, according to Mr Campbell.

Mr Campbell said Mr Qureshi died after he was run over by the delivery van as he tried to get out of the vehicle as it reversed during the alleged hold-up.

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The delivery van was then allegedly pursued by the 4x4 and by Mr Rutherford in a VW Tiguan, according to Mr Campbell, before those in the van reported the alleged incident.

Pictured is Callum Rutherford, aged 26, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.Pictured is Callum Rutherford, aged 26, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.
Pictured is Callum Rutherford, aged 26, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.

Mr Rutherford said that he was left ‘baffled’ by what had happened and he had only been in his VW Tiguan with another passenger to receive the delivery and that Mr Hartigan and Mr Lakin were there to help.

Jake Lakin said he and Arron Hartigan had been off-roading and helping Mr Rutherford to receive a delivery when an unknown van came towards them fast.

He claimed the van had looked like it was going to ram Mr Hartigan’s jeep, so Mr Lakin said he had jumped out and got into Callum Rutherford’s vehicle.

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Mr Lakin added that he thought Arron Hartigan had pursued the van because he had been upset about his jeep and he had told Mr Rutherford to go after Arron.

Pictured is Arron Hartigan, aged 26, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.Pictured is Arron Hartigan, aged 26, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.
Pictured is Arron Hartigan, aged 26, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, who has denied manslaughter and has also pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.

He said: “We had been going off-roading. Nothing violent. Nothing of the sort like that. We were off-roading like we were every weekend.”

Mr Lakin also said he did not have a gun, a firearm had not been involved and there had not been any agreement to rob the van.

The court heard nitrous oxide is used in catering to carbonate drinks or to whip cream and it can be used as a drug and is known as ‘laughing gas’.

Mr Lakin, of Smithy Moor Avenue, at Stocksbridge, Sheffield, Mr Rutherford, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, and Mr Hartigan, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, deny all charges against them.