Preston teenager sentenced for mistaken identity murder

The court was told "an absolute catalogue of tragedies" had resulted in Mr Ali-Khani's death

A teenager who murdered a man he wrongly believed had arranged to meet a young girl has been detained.

Joshua Boardman stabbed Hiwa Ali-Khani as he sat in his car in Preston on 8 July, in what Judge Robert Altham said was a "particularly tragic" case.

Preston Crown Court heard the 17-year-old had intended to attack a man who was parked behind Mr Ali-Khani, but who left seconds before Boardman arrived.

Boardman was sentenced to a minimum of 14 years seven months in detention.

David McLachlan KC, prosecuting, told the court that the day before the murder, a 35-year-old man had pulled over his car to speak to a 15-year-old girl, who he later told police he thought was "pretty" and who told him she was 16.

The pair exchanged numbers and the following day sent messages arranging to meet, which were read by Boardman.

The court was shown footage from later that day, which showed the man parking behind Mr Ali-Khani's car on Raikes Road.

He then sent a message to the girl saying: "Hiya I'm there now xx."

'No connection whatsoever'

Mr McLachlan said Mr Ali-Khani got into his car shortly before the man drove away and seconds later, Boardman, of Preston, approached and got into the passenger side of the 28-year-old's car.

The court heard the teenager, who had taken cocaine shortly before the attack, stabbed Mr Ali-Khani in the leg.

Mr Ali-Khani got out of the car and was stabbed twice more by Boardman, including fatally to the chest, as they wrestled in the street.

A video of the attack was shown in court, in which a female voice could be heard saying: "It's not even him."

Mr McLachlan said the intended target had returned to the area while the attack was happening and witnessed the stabbing.

He said the man did not realise he was the target until he rang the girl about 20 minutes later and Boardman answered, telling him: "You see that? That was meant for you."

Joshua Boardman had taken cocaine before launching his attack

Mr McLachlan said Mr Ali-Khani had "no connection whatsoever" to the man, "nor to Joshua Boardman and his group".

"He was simply a man who had been to work and was very shortly about to get into his car," he said.

The court was told Boardman fled the scene but later stopped a police officer and told him: "You need to arrest me, I've just stabbed someone."

Imran Shafi KC, defending, said "an absolute catalogue of tragedies" had "conspired together" and resulted in Mr Ali-Khani's death.

"I would submit in this case there is genuine sorrow, there is genuine remorse, there is genuine self-revulsion at his actions," he added.

Lifting restrictions to allow Boardman to be named, the judge said the teenager had had a "disruptive childhood" and was "particularly sensitive to those around him allegedly suffering sexual abuse".

However, he said the aggravating features outweighed the mitigating features of the case.

Sentencing him, he said the case was "particularly tragic".

Speaking afterwards, Det Ch Insp Mark Haworth-Oates said Mr Ali-Khani's death was "shocking, tragic and wholly avoidable".

"He was simply going about his normal daily life when he was attacked for no reason, in a case of mistaken identity," he said.

He said the man who Boardman intended to attack "witnessed the stabbing and went to the aid of the victim", adding: "Although he didn't realise it at the time, he was watching what could have been his own murder."