Beeston murder trial: Brothers found guilty of murder after Keith Harrower was stabbed to death in revenge killing outside Premier store

Omar Ishaq and Kearon Barker were today (February 10) found guilty of the murder of 40-year-old Keith Harrower following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.

The jury reached unanimous guilty verdicts after hearing how Mr Harrower died from a knife wound to the neck inflicted by Ishaq outside the Premier convenience store on Dewsbury Road, Beeston.

The court was told Mr Harrower was lured to the area on December 12, 2019, believing he was going to buy drugs.

He was then the victim of a 'joint attack' by the brothers.

Mr Harrower died from the single stab wound a short time after being attacked.

The pair tried to flee the country later that day by boarding a ferry to Amsterdam but were unable to travel as Ishaq did not have a passport.

Barker, 31, of Cardinal Crescent, Beeston, and Ishaq, 34, Low Lane, Horsforth, will be sentenced tomorrow.

Barker was also found guilty of possessing an offensive weapon.

Ishaq pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon before the start of the trial.

After the jury foreman returned the verdicts, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC said: "There can, of course, be only one sentence for the defendants and that is life imprisonment."

Both defendants were returned to custody until the sentencing hearing at 10.30am tomorrow when the judge will determine the minimum term they must each serve in custody.

During the trial, the court heard Mr Harrower was a drug user who had bought drugs from Barker in the past.

Mr Harrower, also known as Joshua French or 'Frenchie', rang Barker, nicknamed 'Kinky', on the day of the killing to arrange to buy drugs.

Prosecutor Toby Hedworth QC said the defendants went to the area and "laid in wait" for Mr Harrower before attacking him.

CCTV footage showed them standing in a side street shortly before the incident.

Mr Harrower turned up with his friend and was attacked outside the shop moments later.

Opening the case at the start of the trial, Mr Hedworth said: "Mr Harrower was stabbed in the neck by Omar Ishaq.

"The prosecution say that was after Mr Harrower had been distracted by a conversation with Kearon Barker.

"That single stab wound was probably inflicted with a kitchen knife with a six or seven-inch long blade taken to the scene by the defendants.

"It penetrated deeply into the neck with, at the very least say the prosecution, an intention to cause very serious injury or, with all likelihood, killing him. "

Mr Harrower's friend described how Barker said "we got robbed last night" shortly before his brother inflicted the knife wound.

The prosecutor added: "The whole incident lasted no more than a few seconds and must have been, say the prosecution, a joint plan to attack Keith Harrower with a knife."

The attack was captured on a CCTV camera from the store.