The father of a man who died when he was allegedly ‘forced’ to drink two bottles of brandy for a forfeit and was then left overnight said he has been left ‘devastated’ after a coroner did not return an unlawful killing verdict....Read The Full Story Here ▶
A week-long inquest found there was no evidence to suggest Umar Aziz, 35, did not drink the Hennessy brandy voluntarily.
Coroner Martin Fleming also found there was no evidence to suggest the contents of a Lucozade bottle he was also seen drinking from on CCTV were anything other than the isotonic drink.
Although police arrested the five men who were with Mr Aziz on the fateful night in Bradford, West Yorkshire, officers found there was insufficient evidence to charge any of them with an offence, the inquest was told.
Mr Aziz’z father Mohabbat Aziz said he had endured a sleepless night before the inquest verdict today – but would not be commenting other than to say her was devastated.
Umar Aziz with his wife Sadhaf Ikhlaq and two of his children
Mr Aziz’z father Mohabbat Aziz said he had endured a sleepless night before the inquest verdict today – but would not be commenting other than to say her was devastated
Mouzham Jahangir, Abdul Shaqoor and Jhangeer Ahmed pictured together on Tuesday
(L to R) Abdul Saboor, Mouzham Jahangir, Abdul Shaqoor and Jhangeer Ahmed on May 21
During the week-long inquest, Mr Aziz senior highlighted evidence about the evening from his son’s own phone. The grandfather was convinced his hardworking son, a takeaway owner, had been forced to drink two 35cl bottles of Hennessy brandy as a ‘Jurmana’ – punishment or forfeit in Urdu – for losing at cards.
After he consumed the brandy, Mr Aziz’s friends placed him on a chair outside the portacabin where they had been drinking and took photographs.
On recovered CCTV, one friend could be seen pouring liquid from a Lucozade bottle into his mouth – that Mr Aziz senior was sure was more brandy.
Mr Aziz was then placed on the backseat of his car and left overnight in the locked compound.
But Coroner Martin Fleming said he could not find evidence of unlawful killing – a verdict sought by Mr Aziz’s father – and delivered a narrative verdict, saying there was no evidence to suggest Mr Aziz did not drink the brandy voluntarily or that the liquid in the bottle was anything but Lucozade.
Speaking to the packed courtroom, filled with Mr Aziz’s family and the friends who were with him the night he died, Mr Fleming said: ‘I find that Umar died of an alcohol related death on May 23, 2021. Umar Aziz was voluntarily drinking a large amount of brandy, placed in the back of a motor vehicle to sleep it off by others.
‘Before being placed in the car he was given an unidentified liquid and left in a car without water. He was found unresponsive and died later that same day.’
The coroner also said: ‘CCTV showed he was clearly worse for wear. He had drank one 35cl bottle and had started on another bottle of the same size. Clearly the effects were catching up with him and all the others found it highly amusing.’
But Mr Fleming was highly-critical of the other men.
A week-long inquest at Bradford Coroners Court (pictured) found there was no evidence to suggest Umar Aziz, 35, did not drink the Hennessy brandy voluntarily
Mr Aziz was placed on the backseat of his car and left overnight in the locked compound
He said: ‘I find the setting up of a Whatsapp group and the photos taken arose out of childish mentality.’
‘Without doubt Umar’s friends should and could have done more to look after him and been more productive in their care for him but this got lost when they themselves were heavily intoxicated.’
Police took statements from the five friends who were with Mr Aziz, Jhangeer Ahmed, Mouzham Jahangir, Mohammed Shakeel and Abdul Saboor – who owned the lock-up – and his brother Abdul Shaqoor, the same day he died but did not arrest them until 18 months later on suspicion of administering a noxious substance.
Mr Aziz senior said he was so tired and upset after a sleepless night on the eve of Coroner Martin Fleming delivering his verdict at Bradford Coroners Court that he was unable to make a comment.
By that time, all photos and video from the night had been deleted and officers did not have the Lucozade bottle to examine for evidence.
As a result, no charges were brought and a week-long inquest at Bradford Coroners Court (pictured) found there was no evidence to suggest Umar Aziz, 35, did not drink the Hennessy brandy voluntarily
During the inquest, the court heard how Mr Aziz, a married father of four from Bradford, West Yorks., was often brought home by his friends after a night of heavy drinking.
His wife of 14 years would always wait up for him and help him to bed. But she said he never stayed out for the full night.
Mr Shaqoor (pictured) denied the four men had forced Mr Aziz to drink the spirit as a punishment and described him as a ‘brother’
Conducting his own evidence from his son’s phone, Mohabbat Aziz (pictured) was convinced his hardworking son, a takeaway owner, had been forced to drink two 35cl bottles of Hennessy brandy as a ‘Jurmana’ – punishment or forfeit in Urdu
On May 22, 2021, Mr Aziz had gone to his work, where he ran his own takeaway in Leeds, leaving at 11pm to go and meet up with the group, who one of Mr Aziz’s friends called The Late Night Crew, at the car lock-up.
CCTV from the mosque next door to the lock-up showed Mr Aziz, known to his friends as Koko, turning up to meet his friends, where they drank together in a small and shabby portacabin.
Later in the evening friend Mohammed Shakeel went out to an off licence to buy two bottles of Hennessy brandy, drank by hip hop artists, and going back to the cabin at 1.50am
Just 28 minutes later, at 2.18am, the group could be seen emerging from the cabin with an extremely drunken Mr Aziz and placing him on a chair outside.
The packed courtroom, including members of Mr Aziz’s devastated family were in tears as they watched his last tragic moments caught on camera.
The CCTV caught him leaning over and being sick, with a friend patting him on the back and then wiping his mouth.
The group took photographs and filmed him.
The friends then brought the car into the compound from the street outside at 2.58am and placed him on the backseat at 3.02am.
The other men all left at 3.39am and, at that time, he was still alive, the inquest heard.
Mr Aziz was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary after one of the friends, Abdul Shaqoor, returned to the lock up at 12.17pm the next day and found him unresponsive in his car.
Medics were unable to save him and switched off the life support machine at 2.42pm. It was the same day Mr Aziz’s sister’s wedding celebrations were supposed to start.
He died from fatal levels of alcohol consumption, having 330mg of alcohol per 1000ml of blood. The legal limit for driving in England and Wales is 80mg.
Six thousand pounds he had taken with him the morning he went to work to buy a present for his sister’s wedding has never been recovered.
Mr Aziz’s friends maintained he drank his brandy voluntarily and that he always drank a lot, they also said he had said he had not wanted to go home that night and had even tried to book a hotel – with evidence of this on his phone – but because he couldn’t get a room he wanted to stay in his car.
They had expected to get a call from him to let him out when he woke up.
Pathologist Dr Richard Knight said the cause of death was due to acute alcohol intoxication with the coroner recording a narrative verdict.
In conclusion, Mr Fleming said: ‘To lose a much-loved son, husband and dad of four children in sudden and unexpected circumstances of death that has devastated this family and all those who know and loved him is heartbreaking in shattering proportion.’
Referring to Mr Aziz’s father, he said: ‘Mohabbat, I’m very grateful to you that you found it within yourself to assist me in this inquiry and you’ve done so resolutely.’
