Man guilty of murdering young West Sussex footballer in Brighton hit-and-run
Suel Delgado was struck following an argument in December 2019
Two brothers have been convicted over the death of a promising young footballer from West Sussex, who was hit by a car while out with friends in Brighton.
20-year-old Suel Delgado, who was from Crawley and played for Loxwood FC, became involved in an argument with Iftekhar and Irfan Khondaker by Brighton pier in the early hours of December 1st, 2019.
The fight, part of which was captured on CCTV, ended on Marine Parade, at which point the brothers went to their large BMW SUV which was parked nearby.
Wanting to prove they had won the fight, Iftekhar deliberately drove the vehicle at speed into the group as they crossed the road, injuring the three friends.
Suel was fatally injured and later died in hospital.
His two friends, 19-year-old Zakhir Khan, and 23-year-old Azaan Khan, who are cousins, also received life threatening injuries.
Both survived but have been left with life changing injuries from the attack.
In a statement, Sussex Police said the Khondaker brothers made no attempt to stop or help their victims as they lay in the street, whilst stunned witnesses to the attack watched in horror.
They drove to Middle Street in the city centre, where they dumped their badly damaged vehicle before calling a an taxi and returning to their home.
Iftekhar was arrested later that day after a murder investigation was launched by Sussex and Surrey's Major Crime Team, whilst his brother handed himself into police a few days later.
A thorough search of the extensive crime scene was carried out, resulting in hours of CCTV being reviewed as well as hundreds of forensics exhibits being produced.
Police were able to link both brothers to the vehicle at the time of the collision, placing Iftekhar in the driver's seat.
During their trial, both brothers, of Caithness Road in Mitcham, admitted to being in the vehicle at the time, claiming they were scared following the earlier fight and didn’t see the group as they were crossing the road.
Iftekhar denied murder, but admitted causing death by dangerous driving. A jury however after hearing all evidence, believed Iftekhar intended to cause the friends serious injury by deliberately driving into them, and knowing that was the case, his brother had knowingly helped him to flee the area.
The jury at Hove Crown Court found 34-year-old Iftekhar guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder, and 27-year-old Irfan guilty of assisting an offender by helping his brother escape the scene of the crime.
Detective Chief Inspector Chris Friday of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, who led the investigation said:
“Our thoughts at this time are with the family and friends of all those affected by this. Although Suel paid the ultimate price, this terrible act will have a lasting effect on his friends and their families who survived or witnessed this attack.
"I hope that we have provided some answers as to how Suel met his death, and crucially who was responsible. Ultimately, we sought to identify who committed what is the most serious crime of all.
"I would like to thank the jury for their time, commitment and due diligence in bringing about this verdict.
"From the moment that this incident was reported this has been a fast moving and dynamic investigation, where my team worked tirelessly over many days, collating all evidence from the scene and securing evidence to charge them both.
"This took many days, during which I am aware Marine Parade was closed to traffic. I realise this was inconvenient for many, and I am grateful to the public in their understanding and cooperation.
"I would like to recognise the courage of the witnesses who came forward to support us in achieving this result and to also thank the jury for their time, commitment and due diligence in bringing about this verdict."