Help catch my cousin's killer - victim

3:43pm Monday 5th January 2009

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A SHOOTING victim has relived the terrifying moments in which his cousin was gunned down in cold blood while he sat beside him in a car just over a year ago.

Amjad Yaseen, aged 28, of Prestwich, was in Cheetham Hill with his cousin Arif Iqbal, of Crumpsall, aged 27, and two friends on New Year’s Eve 2007 when two masked gunmen opened fire on their car.

The gunmen, who were on foot, fired up to eight bullets at either side of the silver Vauxhall Vectra. One of the bullets pierced Arif’s heart and he died instantly.

A second bullet hit Amjad and shattered his spine. Surgeons were unable to remove the bullet, leaving him paralysed from the waist down. He is now in a wheelchair.

A year on, Amjad visited his cousin’s grave and spoke of the devastating attack in a bid to jog the memories of witnesses so they can put the killers behind bars.

One of the gunmen is described as either mixed race or Asian, between 5ft 7in and 5ft 9in tall. He and his accomplice fled in an Audi or a BMW.

Father-of-one Amjad, said: “I cannot walk and I am in constant pain but I am thankful to be alive. Arif is not.

“It is one thing that I am in a wheelchair but I am never going to see Arif again. He is never going to see his children grow up. We were cousins but we might as well have been brothers.

“His children need to know that the people who did this have been caught. New Year’s Eve is a time for celebration. For me it is a time for grief.”

Amjad, Arif and two friends were sat in the car on Huxley Avenue, Cheetham Hill, at about 5.30pm on their way to a party in Manchester to welcome in the new year.

Amjad added: “One minute we were driving, laughing and joking. The next minute we were screaming with fear. I heard the gunshots but I did not know how serious it was.

“There were about eight shots. It was mayhem. Everyone was screaming. It was a nightmare. I was in so much pain that I thought I was going to die.”

Of Amjad's friends in the car, one suffered a minor head wound and the other was uninjured. One of them, who was in the driving seat, managed to drive at speed to North Manchester General Hospital.

Arif was pronounced dead a short time afterwards.

Of his own injuries, Amjad said: “The doctors cannot tell me whether the pain will ever stop. It takes over my life. I get a lot of anger inside.

“I am angry at the people who have done this and I want them caught. I am angry that they have taken Arif.

“He was the last person who should have been murdered and he always had time for everyone.

“I want people to come forward. They have to imagine this happening to them and think of Arif’s children. They must be caught.”

Mystery surrounds the motive behind the shootings. Amjad said there was no reason why he, Arif or his friends would be targets and police investigating the incident said one possibly explanation is that it was a case of mistaken identity.

One glimmer of hope is that detectives have forensically linked the murder to a shooting in Washbrook Drive, Urmston, Trafford, 40 minutes later.

In that incident, a 42-year-old man was shot in the back. He has since left hospital. Detectives believe an Audi or a BMW was involved in that incident too.

In October, four men were arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in relation to the Urmston shooting . They were bailed pending further inquiries until January 30..

Detective Superintendent Geoff Wessell said: “This has been a truly awful year for Arif’s family. However, I believe it is significant that these two incidents are connected and would appeal for community help from both areas.

“We know that a year can seem like a long time but, believe me, to Arif’s family, this tragedy only seems like yesterday.”

Call Greater Manchester Police on 0161 856 2480 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 with any information.