Man says he "sh*t himself" during suspected Sheffield robbery that allegedly caused a death

An on-going Sheffield Crown Court trial has heard 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 seriously injured on wasteland off Station Road, at Deepcar, near Stocksbridge, in Sheffield, on July 24, 2019, before he died.

Nicholas Campbell KC, prosecuting, told the jury that delivery Transit van driver Massimo Roselli, middle seat passenger Sean Wright and second passenger Mr Qureshi had allegedly been called out and targeted by the three accused during a suspected robbery and Mr Qureshi was unlawfully killed after he was run over by the reversing van as he tried to get out.

Mr Campbell said the delivery of nitrous oxide canisters was allegedly requested by Mr Rutherford and the delivery men were directed down a track off Station Road where their van was allegedly targeted by the accused and the delivery men were blocked in by a 4x4 Piero allegedly driven by Mr Hartigan with passenger Mr Lakin allegedly holding a ‘gun’.

Delivery man and van passenger Sean Wright told the court on January 10 that a vehicle suddenly came over and pulled up at the side of their vehicle.

He said: “The next thing I knew we had a ‘gun’ pointing at us,” and he added that they were told, “Get the f**k out of the van now.”

Mr Wright said: “Nadeem opened the passenger door to get his hands up. I have sh*t myself.”

He also added that the driver of the other vehicle opened his door half-way and dropped his phone and as he went to get it Mr Wright recalls the van he was in suddenly being put into reverse.

Mr Campbell claimed Mr Lakin allegedly pointed the ‘gun’ at the van driver and ordered the three delivery men to get out of the vehicle as Mr Rutherford and another unnamed man were allegedly nearby in a VW vehicle and the defendants had allegedly planned to take the van and the goods.

However, Mr Campbell also claimed that when the delivery driver reversed the Transit van Mr Qureshi had begun to get out and he was run over by the van as it fled from the suspected robbers.

Mr Campbell added that delivery van had been making a delivery of 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.

Mohammed Khan, of Unicorn Foods, in Bolton, who originally took a call for the delivery told the court that they did not make any checks after the caller said he was in the catering business and a cash payment was agreed because a lot of people in the catering business use and prefer cash.

Mr Campbell said: “Mr Qureshi had chosen to obey the gunman. He got out of the passenger door and so it was tragically that he was run over by the van that had brought him to that wasteland.

"He received catastrophic injuries from which he was very shortly to die. Given the rough treatment and the circumstances neither occupant of the van was aware of what had just happened.”

The delivery van was pursued by the 4x4 and the VW, according to Mr Campbell, to the A6102 towards Sheffield before the defendants gave up and those in the van reported the alleged incident.

Van passenger Sean Wright phoned the police and his recorded call was played in court as he told them they had been ‘ambushed’ and were being chased, according to Mr Campbell.

Mr Wright stated to police: “I need the police as soon as possible. I am being followed by some guys who have got a gun on them. They have got a gun on them.”

He added: “Literally behind us. It’s like a chase,” and he also said: “We’re seriously getting ambushed.”

Mr Campbell’s colleague Daniel Penman, prosecuting, said the delivery van eventually came across a police vehicle by which time the defendants had given up their alleged pursuit.

Mr Campbell said: “The prosecution case is that were they not to rob the occupants of the van and its contents, Nadeem Qureshi would have been alive today. The would-be robbers did not intend that he should die but his death was a foreseeable consequence of the dangerous criminal activity that they had agreed to embark on.”

Mr Rutherford claimed he had been at the location to receive a delivery, and Mr Lakin and Mr Hartigan claimed they had been ‘off-roading’ at the location, according to Mr Campbell who added that the defence case will be that both their vehicles had been at the same location by coincidence.

Mr Campbell said there had been difficulties with a previous cancelled delivery with Unicorn Foods days before involving two deliverymen who had become suspicious about the instructions they had received.

He added that nitrous oxide canisters are used in catering to carbonate drinks or to whip cream and it is also known as ‘laughing gas’ and it can be used as a drug.

Mr Rutherford, aged 26, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, Mr Lakin, aged 22, of Smithy Moor Avenue, at Stocksbridge, Sheffield, and Mr Hartigan, aged 25, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, have all denied manslaughter and have also all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.

The trial continues.