Delivery men say they were 'ambushed' in incident on Sheffield wasteland in which colleague died

An ongoing Sheffield Crown Court trial has heard how Callum Rutherford, Jake Lakin and Arron Hartigan have all denied the manslaughter of 40-year-old delivery man Nadeem Qureshi who was found seriously injured on wasteland off Station Road, Deepcar, Sheffield, on July 24, 2019, before he died on the same day.

Nicholas Campbell KC, prosecuting, told the jury that delivery van driver Massimo Roselli, middle passenger Sean Wright and second passenger Mr Qureshi had allegedly been called out and targeted by the three accused during a suspected robbery and Mr Qureshi was unlawfully killed after he was run over by the reversing van as he tried to get out of the vehicle.

Mr Campbell said the legitimate delivery of nitrous oxide canisters was allegedly requested by Mr Rutherford and the delivery men were directed down a dirt track off Station Road where their van was then allegedly targeted by the accused and the delivery men were blocked in by a 4x4 Piero allegedly driven by Mr Hartigan with passenger Mr Lakin allegedly holding a ‘gun’.

He added: “Mr Lakin was therefore the closest to the van’s driver but Sean Wright also got a good look at him. Both will describe that front seat passenger as male with blue or perhaps green eyes and short, blond hair and he was wearing a white top and both say he was telling them all to get out of the van.

“Sean Wright described him as speaking in a Yorkshire accent and he said the words. ‘Get the f**k out of the van now,’ and he repeated these words.

“Both Mr Roselli and Mr Wright will also tell you that the person saying these words was also pointing a gun at them.”

Mr Campbell said Sean Wright was aware that Mr Qureshi had opened his door and was in the process of getting out and he thought Mr Roselli was about to do the same.

He added that Mr Roselli was so frightened he began to open his driver’s door but he suddenly changed his mind and decided to drive away.

Mr Campbell said: “Without warning he put the van into reverse and crouching down he drove backwards in what Sean Wright will describe as a ‘full lock’ and drove it forwards again so he was now heading towards Station Road and he set off as quickly as the van would allow. Sean Wright just went with it but to avoid being shot he too crouched down.”

He added: “In the meantime, neither was aware that Mr Qureshi had been knocked down and run over by the van but that is what the evidence was to reveal.”

Mr Campbell said Mr Qureshi had got out of the van during the incident and was run over by this vehicle and ‘crushed to death’.

The van was pursued by Mr Hartigan in the 4x4 after Mr Lakin had got out and injured his knee, and Mr Rutherford who was driving a VW Tiguan tried to block the van before it past the Station House, a pub and houses and headed to the A6102 towards Sheffield, according to Mr Campbell.

Mr Campbell said: “Mr Rutherford drove the Tiguan towards the van. The van driver believed he was driving to block his path to the gate and he decided to press on regardless if there was a collision.”

Van passenger Sean Wright phoned the police and his recorded call was played in court as he told them they had been ‘ambushed’ and were being chased, according to Mr Campbell.

Mr Wright stated to police: “I need the police as soon as possible. I am being followed by some guys who have got a gun on them. They have got a gun on them.”

He added: “Literally behind us. It’s like a chase,” and he also said: “We’re seriously getting ambushed.”

Mr Campbell’s colleague Daniel Penman, prosecuting, said the delivery van eventually came across a police vehicle with two officers by which time the defendants had given up their alleged pursuit.

Mr Penman added that a woman who had been riding her bike near Station Road found Mr Qureshi lying on wasteland in a foetal position with blood on the ground and she alerted the police.

Mr Rutherford, aged 26, of Lee Avenue, at Deepcar, Sheffield, Mr Lakin, aged 22, of Smithy Moor Avenue, at Stocksbridge, Sheffield, and Mr Hartigan, aged 25, of Stocksbridge, Sheffield, have all denied manslaughter and have also all pleaded not guilty to conspiring to commit a robbery and to having an imitation firearm with intent to commit a robbery.

Mr Rutherford claimed he had been at the location to receive a delivery, and Mr Lakin and Mr Hartigan claimed they had been ‘off-roading’, according to Mr Campbell who also said the defence’s case would be that the defendants’ vehicles had been at the location by coincidence.

Mr Campbell explained that a legitimate business had agreed for the goods to be delivered after there had been difficulties with a previous cancelled arrangement days before involving two deliverymen who had become suspicious about the instructions they had received.

Mr Campbell explained nitrous oxide is used to carbonate drinks or to whip cream and it is also known as ‘laughing gas’ and it can be used as a drug.

The trial continues.