Leeds brothers must spend 44 years in prison over 'chilling' revenge murder of man stabbed to death in busy Beeston street during drugs conflict

Omar Ishaq and Kearon Barker were handed life sentences today by a judge who described CCTV footage of the knife attack on Keith Harrower as "chilling and compelling" evidence.

The footage shows drug dealer Barker distracting Mr Harrower before Ishaq approaches the victim from behind and thrusts the knife into his neck.

Mr Harrower, 40, died within an hour of the attack which took place outside the Premier store on Dewsbury Road, Beeston on December 12, 2019.

Both defendants were unanimously found guilty of murder after a three-week trial.

Sentencing the men, Judge Andrew Stubbs QC told Leeds Crown Court that he was satisfied the killing was linked to a conflict over drugs.

Barker, 31,of Cardinal Crescent, Beeston, was in charge of the 'Kinky' drug supply line, selling drugs to users in the south Leeds area.

Mr Harrower, a drug user, was in conflict with those running the line in the days before his death.

The court heard the father-of-five told a friend that he robbed people involved with the line of several hundred pounds and that people were looking for him.

Mr Harrower contacted Barker on the day of his death and was 'lured' to the area believing he was going to buy drugs.

The brothers then lay in wait for Mr Harrower before carrying out the attack.

Judge Stubbs said: "The CCTV footage is chilling and compelling evidence that you Barker engaged him in conversation so he was completely unaware of Omar Ishaq."

The Judge described how Ishaq, 34, of Low Lane, Horsforth, then inflicted the fatal blow which severed an artery in Mr Harrower's neck.

Ishaq then stood back and adopted a "boxer's stance" in case he needed to carry out a further strike.

Judge Stubbs said the killing had had a devastating impact on Mr Harrower's five children and other family members who were already grieving over the recent death of a family member.

Ishaq and Barker attempted to flee the country after the killing.

They travelled to Hull intending the catch a ferry to Amsterdam but returned to West Yorkshire as Ishaq did not have a passport.

The Judge also praised the public-spirited efforts of a woman who stopped her car to try to help Mr Harrower as he was fatally injured

She was awarded £250 from public funds.

After the case, Detective Chief Inspector Emma Winfield, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Keith Harrower’s family have been left absolutely devastated at his death in such sudden and violent circumstances.

“Barker and Ishaq plotted revenge against him and deliberately lured him to the scene where he was stabbed, causing catastrophic injuries that were unsurvivable.

“There can be never be any justification for those who seek to settle their differences with extreme violence such as this.

“We hope that Keith’s family can find some measure of consolation in knowing that the people responsible have been brought to justice and given life sentences.”