FIVE men have been sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of over 120 years combined behind bars after being convicted of murdering Haji Choudhary Rab Nawaz following a Coventry funeral.
The murder saw an ongoing feud between families erupt into violence.
Mr Nawaz attended the funeral along with his brother at a mosque near Durbar Avenue on October 2.
The pair were both stabbed after being followed to their nearby parked car by a group armed with weapons.
They attempted to drive off but only managed a short distance before seeking help back inside the mosque.
Mr Nawaz, aged 52, suffered serious chest injuries and died shortly after arriving at hospital.
His brother’s injuries weren’t life-threatening.
The group, consisting of Adam Razaaq, Faisal Mohammed, Hasnian Razaaq, Hasham Razaaq and Jenaid Mahmood, targeted the pair after seeing them at the funeral.
The car was smashed up following the stabbings.
Police enquiries revealed there was ongoing animosity between two closely-linked families.
Although Mohammed stabbed Mr Nawaz and Adam Razaaq his brother, police argued all five were jointly involved in the violence which culminated in the death.
They all fled to different parts of the country after the incident but police quickly identified them as suspects.
They were all arrested within nine days of the killing after using CCTV, mobile phone records and forensics to link them to the murder.
They were convicted following a seven-week trial at Warwick Crown Court.
Adam Razaaq, 21 from Halesowen, will serve a minimum of 25 years, while Hasnian Razaaq and Hasham Razaaq will serve at least 26 and 25 years each.
Faisal Mohammed, 30, of South Road, Birmingham has been jailed for a minimum of 27 years, while 19-year-old Jenaid Mahmood of Markby Road, Birmingham will serve at least 22 years behind bars.
They were all also convicted of attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon.
Det Insp Nick Barnes, from West Midlands Police’s homicide unit, said: “This was excessive violence which tragically led to the death of a much-loved father.
“These five men acted together and it seems to have stemmed from an ongoing feud between two families.
“It is yet another example of the awful consequences of carrying knives in public places.
“I am grateful to the jury who spent several weeks paying close attention to the evidence, and were clearly unconvinced by the web of lies from those defendants who decided to give evidence.
“Although nothing can sadly ever bring Mr Nawaz back, we hope these convictions will bring some sense of justice for those who knew him.”
