Teenager jailed for fatally stabbing two men lined up outside nightclub

A teenager who stabbed three men, killing two, after an argument over a girl at a club has been sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in prison by a judge who said the case illustrated “the tragic consequences that can follow when a young man carries a knife.” in public”.

Rashane Douglas, 19, stabbed Haidar Shah, 19, Joshua Clark, 21, and Brandon Coupe, 18, in the chest within seconds of each other following an argument outside a nightclub in Halifax, West Yorkshire, in the early hours of October 1 last year.

Mr Shah and Mr Clark died from their stab wounds, while Mr Coupe survived.

On Tuesday, Douglas was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 28 years by Judge Jonathan Rose at Bradford Crown Court.

He was convicted earlier this year of murdering Mr Clark and Mr Shah, and of intentionally wounding Mr Coupe.

Judge Rose told him: “This case is an illustration of the tragic consequences that can occur when a young man carries a knife in public. »

He said: “If you carry a knife you are more likely to draw it; if you draw it, you're more likely to use it; if you use it, you are more likely to cause injury or death.

The court heard how angry Douglas was that a woman he expected to meet at Maggie's Bar was instead with Mr Shah.

The stabbings took place at 3.45am, after Douglas and his friends, along with Mr Shah and his friends Mr Clark and Mr Coupe, had all left the bar.

CCTV from the street showed Mr Coupe attempting to punch Douglas, before Mr Shah and Mr Clark ran across the road towards him.

Prosecutors said Douglas then pulled a knife from his pocket and held it in his right hand, appearing to hide it behind his leg.

The footage then showed Douglas stabbing the three men, none of whom had knives, before fleeing and apparently throwing the knife into the sewers.

Douglas testified that he carried a knife because he “didn't feel safe,” but added that his purpose was to scare people away, not to use it.

The jury heard how, earlier, Douglas had approached a booth in the bar where the woman he had agreed to meet, Kiera Hamilton, was sitting with Mr Shah.

In mitigation, Naeem Mian KC, defending, appealed to the judge for leniency, saying: “To put it bluntly, (Douglas) didn't start it”, pointing out how Mr Coupe threw the first punch and others hit his client before he pulled out the knife.

But Judge Rose pointed out that Douglas had taken a hidden knife into a club to use it and was, at the time, facing a suspended sentence for carrying a blade.

Douglas, of Jade Place, Huddersfield, could be seen on CCTV removing Mr Shah's arm from around Ms Hamilton and putting his own arm around her shoulders instead.

Ms Hamilton later told police that Douglas “became angry” and asked her: “Why are you sitting in front of me doing this”, before asking Mr Shah his name and where he was from.

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Judge Rose said it was this “insignificant” confrontation inside the club, instigated by Douglas, which sparked the subsequent violence.

Douglas testified at trial that he stabbed the three men because he “thought he was going to die” and that he “stabbed with the knife to get away.”

Douglas' friend Yaseen Iqbal, 18, of Hall Bower, Huddersfield, was convicted of assisting an offender and jailed for 12 months.

Statements from Mr Shah and Mr Clark's family were read outside court.

Mr Shah's mother Yasmin said: “No words can ever describe how I feel following the loss of my beautiful son.

“The emptiness, the physical and mental pain, the gathering of grieving family and friends and the funeral.

“I am destroyed. I am confused. My head hurts, my body hurts, and my heart hurts.

“No mother should have to go through what I’m going through. I pray that no mother buries her child, especially one who was as precious as Haidar.

Mr Clark's mother Rachel, who is a police officer, said: “Now my life seems so empty and dark. My new normal is trying to make my way through life without Josh, now that his life has been cruelly and needlessly ripped away from him by the actions of a brutal killer.

“The cruel actions of one individual not only took away my beloved son, but also shattered my self-esteem. I lost my identity as a mother.

Detective Chief Inspector Matt Holdsworth said: “Two young men had their whole lives ahead of them and this tragic case illustrates only too well the appalling human cost of people carrying and using knives, and we hope it serves as a very stark reminder to others of the terrible consequences of knife crime.