Men jailed as friends killed in street race before fleeing mid-trial

Two Bradford men who fled the country after being accused of killing a man during a street race are both finally behind bars today.

Osama Saeed and Asgar Taj fled last October midway through a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court for causing the death of their friend Asad Rashid, 34, by dangerous driving near Wilmslow. The fugitives were arrested at Manchester Airport’s arrivals gate earlier this month after disembarking from a flight from Abu Dhabi.

After being jailed in their absence, Saeed, 32, of St Paul’s Road, Manningham, Bradford, appeared at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court today (Friday) where he was formally sentenced to 12 years in prison. Taj, 35, of Heather Grove, Bradford, appeared at the same court last Friday and received the same sentence.

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Both men were also banned from driving for eight years. A third defendant, Mohammad Zubair Chaudhry, 31, of Kingsway, Cheadle, who also pleaded guilty to the offence, was sentenced in his absence to 10 years and seven months.

He remains on the run and efforts to find him are ongoing, the Manchester Evening News reports. The three men traveled to Cheshire on Tuesday 15 September 2020 to take part in the race. Mr. Rashid was part of their group.

In a tragic series of events, an illegal race on the A34 in Cheshire ended with devastating results. Chaudry driving an Audi R8 and Saeed driving an RS3, along with Taj and Rashid on Suzuki motorbikes, lined up for a race when they came across the A34 Handforth Bypass near Wilmslow, Cheshire Police revealed.

Tragedy struck at a roundabout on the bypass, where Taj and Mr. Rashid, riding motorcycles, were blown up by the collision. Mr Rashid was hit by the RS3 when it crashed into the central reservation. He died on the spot. Taj suffered a number of serious injuries, including a fractured right arm and fractures to his left leg, from which he has since recovered.

Taj escaped with his life but was left with serious injuries that included fractures to his right arm and left leg – injuries from which he has since recovered.

After the sentencing, Inspector Steve Griffiths from Cheshire Police’s Serious and Complex Collision Investigation Unit did not mince his words: “As this result demonstrates we will not give up, if you commit a crime in Cheshire you will be arrested and Both Saeed and Taj actively evaded justice, fleeing the county midway through their trial before failing to return for their sentencing hearings.”

He went on to highlight the scale of their actions: “Thankfully both men are now behind bars and facing significant custodial sentences which reflect the seriousness of their actions on the day they parked in an illegal street race that led to the death of their friend. “

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