Halifax stabbings: Rashane Douglas guilty of double murder

At Bradford Crown Court, Rashane Douglas, 19, was remanded in custody until sentencing

A man has been found guilty of murdering two men who he stabbed outside a nightclub in Halifax.

Rashane Douglas, 19, of Jade Place, Huddersfield, stabbed Joshua Clark, 21, and Haidar Shah, 19, outside Maggie's on Commercial Street on 1 October 2023.

He denied murder but was found guilty after a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Douglas also stabbed Brandon Coupe, 18, in the incident and was found guilty of wounding with intent. The judge warned him he would face a life sentence.

He had been charged with attempted murder of Mr Coupe, for which he was found not guilty.

Yaseen Iqbal, 18, of Hall Bower, Huddersfield, was found guilty of assisting an offender, with both men remanded into custody.

Row over woman

During his trial, the court heard how Douglas stabbed all three men in the chest within seconds of each other after an earlier row over a woman.

The prosecution alleged Douglas was angry that a woman he had been expecting to meet at Maggie's was already with Mr Shah.

Mark McKone KC said Douglas confronted the pair, with a fight breaking out after the woman had gone home.

Mr Clark died in hospital shortly after the attack and Mr Shah died later that evening. Mr Coupe survived his injuries.

Joshua Clark, left, and Haidar Shah were stabbed by Rashane Douglas last October

Douglas told the court he was "OK" with the woman being with Mr Shah, but "thought he was going to die" when the three men confronted him outside the club.

He said he carried a knife when he was out as people close to him had been killed and he "didn't feel safe", but said it was intended to scare people away.

But the prosecution argued he "discreetly" hid the knife so it wasn't seen.

"None of the three men had a knife," Mr McKone KC said.

"Not only can Rashane Douglas be seen on CCTV to take a knife out of his pocket, but significantly, he does not wave his knife around as you would expect if he was trying to scare the men away."

Iqbal had helped his friend by allowing him to stay at his house that night, the court heard, and assisted with disposing the clothing Douglas had been wearing at the time.

Judge Jonathan Rose said to Douglas: "The only sentence that can be imposed is a life sentence of imprisonment, but the determination of that term will have to wait until another day.

"It will require a deal of consideration."

The incident took place outside Maggie's nightclub on Commercial Street

Addressing Iqbal, he described his part as a "grave offence".

"You too are facing a substantial sentence imprisonment and you will remain in custody," he told him.

Judge Rose said he would sentence the two defendants at a date to be set.