A MAN who helped hide two murder weapons in Slough has been jailed for 16 months.
Miguel Parian John, of Concorde Way, Slough, was found guilty of assisting an offender by hiding two machetes used to murder Mohammed Rafaqit Kayani in the chest during an incident in Keel Drive on August 30 last year.
Riaz Miah and Hassan Al-Kubanji were imprisoned for life yesterday (April 3) to serve a minimum of 24 years and 23 years respectively.
READ MORE: Men jailed for life for murder of 24-year-old Slough man
The 41-year-old was given a 16 month sentence for assisting an offender and two six months sentences for possession of a bladed article to run concurrently. Due to the amount of time John has been in custody, he may be due for release by next month where he will be on post-sentence supervision.
Throughout the trial, the court heard that Miah, 21, of no fixed abode, was selling drugs at the time of the incident and was using John’s home as a ‘base’.
Miah and Al-Kubanji, 21, of Peabody Avenue, London were in Concorde Park when an altercation began between them and Mr Kayani.
It was the defence’s case that Mr Kayani had brought a machete with him to the park as Miah was dealing drugs ‘on his territory’ and Miah had possession of the second machete.
No evidence was offered by the Crown on this but Judge Heather Norton said this was ‘likely’ to have been the case.
The 24-year-old was chased to the Slough Hindu Temple where he was tragically stabbed in the chest.
READ MORE: Brawl in courtroom as murder verdict read out still being investigated
Miah and Al-Kubanji then returned to John’s home where he was then caught removing the two blades involved in the incident from his home in a white sheet. They were later recovered by police near his home.
Defending, Mark Butler said that John had been a Class A drug user at the time and made a point that the weapons were not ‘cleverly hidden’ and were ‘easily’ found by police.
Sentencing John, Judge Norton said: “Shortly after [the defendants arrived at your home], Mr Miah and Mr Al-Kubanji left. When they later returned they each were carrying a weapon and each was visible injured.
“Ten minutes later, CCTV showed you leaving your home with a large bundle containing the machetes which you disposed of by the roadside a short distance away.
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“You said you didn’t know that the bundle you took from our house had the machetes and you said you had only acted under distress.”
John, appearing via video link, interrupted the resident judge and shouted: “I didn’t know, I didn’t know. Okay cool.” He could then be heard laughing.
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