A gang of Asian men hurled racist abuse at a black man moments before stabbing him in the heart during riots in Birmingham

BBC News:

Birmingham Crown Court was told Isiah Young-Sam, his brother and two friends, saw the men armed with knives, as they tried to flee the trouble last October.

Zepheniah Young-Sam said Isiah was surrounded and then lay on the floor.

Waqar Ahmed, 26, Azhil Khan, 23, and Afzal Khan, 22, from Handsworth, deny murder and wounding with intent.

The riots were sparked by rumours that a local West Indian girl had been raped by a gang of Asian men.

The court was told on Wednesday that the day Isiah was killed, the four had attended a demonstration which had been organised following the alleged rape.

But, because of a heavy police presence, they decided not to go to a public meeting later on.

It was as they walked through the back streets of Lozells to avoid any trouble two cars pulled up just yards ahead of them.

Men got out of the vehicles and came towards them, 25-year-old Zepheniah told the court.

One of the men threw a punch at Isiah and as he tried to retaliate, he told the others to run.

As they did so, the Asian men gave chase but Isiah fell behind and was surrounded by a group of up to six men, the court was told.

Zepheniah said he had turned back to help his brother and saw some Asian men run off, leaving two behind. Isiah was lying on the floor.

When Adrian Redgrave QC, prosecuting, asked what happened next Zepheniah said: "I saw them punching, like hand movements."

Isiah was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

The accused also deny wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after another man in the Young-Sam group suffered a stab wound to the buttock during the same incident on 22 October.

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