Couple and 3 teenage boys guilty of killing Rotherham man
Craig Preston, 34, was found dead near Woodhead Tunnels last August
A man, woman and three teenage boys have been found guilty of killing Rotherham man Craig Preston, whose body was found on the moors at Woodhead Tunnels.
Mohammed Shiraz Bashir, 42, and his partner Leonie Marie Mason, 24, both of Holme Park Court, Huddersfield, were both found guilty of murder following a complex 12 week trial at Sheffield Crown Court.
They were on trial alongside two 15-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy, who can’t be named for legal reasons. They were all cleared of murder, but convicted of manslaughter.
The 34-year-old victim – also known as Craig Nelson – was found dead on Monday 22 August 2016 on the moors off the A628 at Woodhead Tunnels
He’d been severely beaten and a port-mortem examination found he died as a result of head injuries.
Detective Chief Inspector Steve Handley, the senior investigating officer, said: “This has been a complex and difficult murder investigation into a brutal and sustained assault on Mr Preston in summer last year.
“Bashir, Mason and the teenage boys planned together to harm Mr Preston, which we were able to demonstrate through a combination of CCTV enquiries, forensics and telecoms work.
“We completed extensive telephone forensics work on the mobiles of all defendants and rather horrifyingly, were able to retrieve an image of Mr Preston’s beaten body in the boot of a car on Bashir’s phone as well as many texts between all defendants planning their attack.
“This overwhelming evidence was placed before a jury who have reached their verdict today. I am pleased with today’s result and wish to recognise the work of my investigative team who have built a significant and complex case, as well as the Crown Prosecution Service and local authority, who have worked alongside us to manage this case.
“The three juvenile defendants, one of whom was just 14 at the time of Mr Preston’s murder, have shown no remorse for their actions, just as Bashir and Mason have denied their guilt throughout.”
The teenagers have been remanded into the care of the local authority. Bashir and Mason were both remanded in custody to be sentenced at a later date.