Two guilty of car theft murder

Raees Khan and Rangzaib Akhtar: Guilty of murder

Two men from Bradford have been found guilty of murdering a West Yorkshire father-of-two.

Rangzaib Akhtar, 20, and Raees Khan, 21, were convicted of killing Kevin Jackson.

They stabbed Mr Jackson in the head with a screwdriver when he tried to stop them stealing his father-in-law's Toyota Rav 4 car on 30 December 2001.

The 31-year-old engineer from Skircoat Green, Halifax, died from his injuries on New Year's Day.

Murder victim Kevin Jackson

The jury is still considering its verdict over a murder charge faced by Rashad Zaman, 21, of Apsley Crescent, Bradford.

During the four week trial at Leeds Crown Court it emerged the men had been on a three-month car crime spree when they murdered Mr Jackson.

They had been attempting to steal valuable cars in West Yorkshire on the night of the murder.

Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told the jury: "The reason they had no regard to that risk was that in the event of being confronted they were prepared to use, and did use, serious violence."

The court heard Mr Jackson had fallen asleep on the sofa after a night out.

Car thefts

At 0210 GMT Mr Jackson's wife, Julie, who had gone to bed, was woken by a sound outside.

She saw a man sitting on the bonnet of her father's car which was parked outside their home in Cow Lane, Halifax.

She woke her husband and saw him leave the house and run after two men.

Mr Jackson was stabbed with a screwdriver and found moments later lying fatally injured in the road in a pool of blood.

During the trial the court was told that Khan had "poked" Mr Jackson with the screwdriver but had not intended to kill him.

Akhtar told the court he hid behind bushes in a garden during the attack. He said when he came out he ran past Mr Jackson lying on the ground but did not realise he was seriously injured.

The jury was told a screwdriver had penetrated his brain by several inches.

Akhtar, of Salt Street, Bradford; and Khan, of Priestman Close, admitted attempting to steal the car but had denied murdering Mr Jackson.

They were also found guilty of attempted burglary and a string of car theft charges.