A Manchester gang member who evaded justice for the murder of his friend for almost a decade has been jailed for life this morning
Abdul Qadar Ahsan aged 28 of Upper Chorlton Road in Old Trafford was today sentenced to life in prison – with the recommendation to spend at least 28 years behind bars – after being found guilty of the 2015 murder of Andre Antonio Marshall in Urmston yesterday at Manchester Crown Court.
Ahsan was extradited from Pakistan in January of this year, after going on the run shortly after the murder in May 2015.
Andre was shot seven times and killed at Manor Park, in Urmston in the early hours of Wednesday 20 May 2015 and was subsequently discovered in a car park later that morning.
Police initially brought Ahsan in for questioning as a witness to Andre’s murder on Friday 22 May 2015, after Ahsan himself had contacted us to say that he had been in Andre’s company the night before his body was found.
He was then brought in again, this time as a suspect, for questioning on Tuesday 26 May 2015, after forensic examination of Andre’s vehicle revealed blood, gunshot residue and damage to the interior caused by bullets.
He was released on bail whilst further investigations were carried out, but Ahsan immediately boarded a plane to Pakistan – a country that does not have an extradition treaty with the UK.
Two of his accomplices received prison terms in 2016 for assisting an offender.
The police investigation into the murder of Andre, was a complex, complicated investigation, utilising CCTV footage and mobile phone cell site analysis to link Ahsan and his accomplices and to place them all in the Urmston area prior to and after the time of the killing – specifically Manor Park.
The team combed through hours and hours of CCTV footage, with specialists helping to analyse the data of the mobile phones of all involved to see if there was a connection between them. In some CCTV footage Ahsan can be seen running away from where Andre lost his life.
On the day of the murder, Ahsan and Andre had travelled together to Urmston, under the pretence of seeing someone who was located near Manor Park.
Witnesses reported hearing a sequence of loud bangs around 12.45am and a light-coloured BMW estate vehicle reversing down Manor Park. A man was seeing getting out of the back passenger door.
He was then seen going over to a parked car and bending down before another loud bang was heard. He then returned to the BMW which sped off from the scene. Andre’s body was found the following morning at the side of the parked car.
DS Chris Doggart of GMP’s Major Incident Team said: “I think the message today is clear: you can run but you can’t hide. Our investigation has always remained focused on finding Ahsan and bringing him to justice. Today, we can say we have done just that.
“This was a horrifically violent crime in which a young man has sadly lost his life. We do not condone the use of firearms on the streets of Manchester and as such, today’s result was right and just.
“Our thoughts remain with Andre’s family. They have remained brave and stoic throughout, although reliving the events of that night and the tragic details of what happened to their son has been heartbreaking for them.
“We have remained dedicated to them, in bringing Ahsan to court to face justice and we hope that today’s result allows them to begin their healing process.
“In the nine years since Andre’s murder, our work hasn’t stopped, as we have fought to get Ahsan back to the UK.
