Three Asians who boasted about killing a white man by repeatedly stamping on his head have been convicted of murder

Nicola Woolcock:

Christopher Yates, 30, was attacked in the campus of his former university after walking a female friend to the bus stop.

Every bone in his face was broken and one gang member stole his phone as he lay dying.

Sajid Zulfiqar, 26, Zahid Bashir, 24, and Imran Maqsood, 22, showed no emotion when told that each faces life in jail with a recommendation that they serve a minimum of 30 years if the judge decides the motive was racist. They will be sentenced tomorrow.

An Old Bailey jury unanimously convicted them of murder. Bashir and Maqsood were also found guilty of violent disorder. On the day of the attack the trio had been drinking all day in the West End of London and stopped at East London University car park to smoke cannabis on their way home.

Mr Yates had been celebrating a friend’s birthday at pubs in Ilford. He walked a female friend to a bus stop in Dagenham, East London, at about 4.30am, to make sure that she returned home safely.

On his way home he passed the Asian men, all from Ilford, and asked why they were arguing. Zulfiqar hit him in the face and, as he fell, the others kicked and stamped on his head. Witnesses said that the attack, last November, was like hearing a game of football. Mr Yates was dead by the time an ambulance arrived.

Anthony Leonard, QC, said severe force was used, adding: “There was extensive fracturing to the facial bones as a result of multiple stamps.

“There were no signs that he had tried to defend himself, because it happened very quickly.”

Mr Yates lived with his mother and was working as a data inputter after graduating in computer studies.

As he lay dying, his phone was stolen by Junaid Khan. As the attackers walked away Zulfiqar, known as “Fatty”, boasted about what he had done and added: “That will teach him to interfere in Paki business.” Kajanan Shrithanan, a witness, said: “He seemed to be boasting about it. He was laughing and joking.”

The unemployed men then went on a rampage, damaging a car in Ilford and racially abusing its black owner, before assaulting staff in a curry house and a black passer-by.

They fled to an hotel run by a friend in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, and were planning to fly from Manchester to Pakistan when police caught them.

Khan, who stole the phone, was given community service.

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