FACTFILE

Racially Motivated Murders (Known or Suspected) 2000 onwards

The IRR has, since 1991, been documenting murders with a suspected or known racial element.*

This page lists murders from 2000 onwards. Click here to read about murders from 1991-1999 with a suspected or known racial element.

01/00, Zahid Mubarek, 19, Feltham (West London)

Zahid was the victim of a racist attack in his cell at Feltham Young Offenders Institute. He was just 12 hours from being released. The attack left Zahid with massive head injuries and he died five days later. His assailant was his cell mate, 19-year-old Robert Joseph Stewart, who was jailed for life for his murder.

04/00, Santokh 'Peter' Singh Sandhu, 42, Port Talbot (South Wales)

Beaten to death in a racially motivated attack on his way home from a pub. In January 2001, William Morgan was found not guilty of manslaughter after alleging he punched Peter over an argument over litter.

05/00, Kombra Divakaren, 43, London

Died of head injuries two days after being attacked and abused by a gang attempting to steal from his shop. In January 2001, a 16-year-old girl and 20-year-old man were sentenced to five years. Two others were found guilty of affray.

06/00, Jan Marthin Pasalbessi, 48, Newport (South Wales)

An Indonesian man beaten to death outside the hospital where his 14-year-old step-daughter was being treated for injuries during a racist gang attack on her. (The same gang attacked Jan.) Judge rejected any racial motivation.

06/00, Glynne Agard, 34, Westbury (Wiltshire)

On a night out with his brother, Stephen and friend Gary Belgrave, were attacked by a gang of eight who kicked and punched Glynne to death. In July 2001, Wayne King was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to manslaughter. A 21-year-old was jailed for four years for ABH. The judge said the murder was not racially motivated.

07/00, Mohammed Asghar, Huddersfield

Stabbed to death outside his restaurant. In May 2001, an all-White jury found Jonathan Fairbank not guilty of murder, accepting he had acted in self defence.

08/00, Abdi Dorre, 31, Northampton

Somali asylum seeker died after falling down the stairs at the Lounge nightclub in Northampton. CCTV footage showed Abdi being escorted from the club by two bouncers but not his fall down sixteen stairs. The two men gave the inquest differing accounts of what had happened. One of the men claimed that the other had made racist comments. The CPS initially refused to bring charges, saying there was insufficient evidence for a prosecution. After pressure from the family the CPS again looked at the case and in August 2002, they announced that manslaughter charges were being brought against two men. In November 2002, the trial of the two men at Leicester crown court was delayed as their lawyers sought to present an application to dismiss both cases - this was further delayed until early December 2002 to allow lawyers to prepare their arguments. No further information is available.

11/00, Tariq Javed, 48, Bury, Manchester

Murdered by a gang of White men who hijacked his cab. He was beaten, robbed and then run over by his own car. Mark Baxter and Jason Power were convicted of murder and robbery and jailed for life. Police said there was no evidence that the murder was racially motivated.

11/00, Khaliur Rahman, 58, Birmingham

Restaurant owner, beaten, robbed and racially abused by two White men on 22 October. Died as a result of injuries sustained during attack. In June 2002, one man was acquitted of his murder and another man was to be retried later in the year.

12/00, Sarfraz Khan, 30, Rotherham

Beaten and stabbed six times and then set alight in his car after picking up a taxi fare. In July 2001, Craig Gilbert sentenced to life for murder, he claimed he was 'off his head' on drugs at the time of the murder.

01/01, Gian Singh Nagra, 37, Elm Park (London)

Found with serious head injuries after suspected racial attack, died later in hospital. In August 2001, Matthew Dorrian admitted manslaughter.

03/01, Fetah Marku, 24, Edgware (London)

Kosovan asylum seeker beaten to death by a gang of men. In June 2002, Black man, Richard Ellis found guilty of his murder, judge commented it was unlikely he was 'solely responsible', but Ellis denied knowing any of the 20-30 strong gang that beat Fetah to death.

04/01, Shiblu Rahman, 34, Bow (East London)

Stabbed to death by a gang of White youth as he returned home from work. In November 2001, a 15-year-old boy was found guilty of murder. Two others were convicted of manslaughter and a 16-year-old was convicted of perverting the course of justice. Police said the murder was 'purely' racial.

07/01, Sharon Bubb, 30, Bow (East London)

Tortured and had her throat cut by 26-year-old Scottish man George McMaster. He was jailed for life after admitting her manslaughter on grounds of diminished responsibility. When arrested he said 'It was because she was Black'.

08/01, Firsat Dag, 22, Glasgow

Asylum seeker dispersed to notorious Sighthill estate where he was stabbed to death as he returned home. In December 2001, Scott Burrell was found guilty of his murder and jailed for life. The judge rejected any racial motivation in the case. In August 2003, the compensation awarded to Firsat's family was halved because Firsat allegedly used a false name on his asylum application.

09/01, Ross Parker, 17, Peterborough

A White youth attacked by a gang of Asians in Peterborough as he walked home with his girlfriend. In December 2002, Shaied Nazir, 22, Ahmed Ali Awan, 22, and Sarfraz Ali, 25, were all found guilty of murder and sentenced to life for what the judge termed a 'racist killing'. In February 2004, Ross' family condemned the fascist National Front for using 'his name for political gains' as the NF held a wreath-laying ceremony at the spot where Ross was murdered.

08/02, Peiman Bahmani, 28, Sunderland

Iranian asylum seeker stabbed after a racist attack in Hendon. Police arrested three people soon after the murder. In February 2003, 18-year-old Steven Roberts was jailed for life for his murder.

09/02, Shah Wahab, 37, Southampton

Died two days after suffering serious head injuries after an unprovoked attack while waiting for a bus in Southampton. In November 2003, Andrew Green admitted manslaughter and was sentenced to one years imprisonment.

10/02, Derrick Shaw, 21, Redhill (Surrey)

Died five days after being fatally brain damaged after he was punched to the ground in a racist attack outside a take-away. 26-year-old James Green was charged with manslaughter and racially aggravated grevious bodily harm and threatening behaviour. The trial in June 2003 heard that Green, who was trained in martial arts, had been 'fired up for a fight' and had made racist comments. The jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision and Green, who denied the charges and claimed he acted in self-defence, was ordered to face a retrial. In December 2003, Green walked free from court after a second jury failed to agree a verdict.

12/02 Israr Hussain, 42, Glodwick, Oldham

A father of six from Glodwick, Oldham, who died after a stab wound to his neck following an incident in his taxi in the early hours of 28 December 2002. Paul Craig, 46, of Higginshaw, Oldham, was charged with the murder, assault and intent to rob. In July 2003, Craig was convicted of murder and told he must serve at least 16 years.

02/03, Mohammed Isa Hasan Ali, 22, Southampton

An Afghani asylum seeker died two days after being attacked by a man in Southampton. After the attack, Mohammed managed to make his way home, told his housemates what had happened and then went to bed, not realising the extent of his injuries. He was taken to Southampton General hospital where he died. A post mortem found that he died from a fractured skull. Alexander Briant was found guilty of manslaughter in December 2003.

03/03, Asian man, 51, Catford, (south-east London)

A man died after an unprovoked attack. He was standing at a bus stop when two men and a woman approached him. He was racially abused and then hit three times with a silver-coloured, foot-long blunt weapon. He received stitches to his face and head at hospital and was later released, but died twelve days later, according to police, from 'causes unrelated to the incident'.

04/03, Paul Rosenberg, 56, Isle of Wight

A South African taxi-driver working in the Isle of Wight was attacked and stamped to death by a passenger. Paul was a South African who arrived in the UK in 1951 and moved to the Isle of Wight in 1996 or 1997. The court was told that passenger Arnold punched Paul twelve times with 'severe force' before stealing his cash bag containing £300. Wendy Nolan, a friend of Arnold's, told the court that Arnold told her: 'I think I have killed the bloke. I only did it because he is Black. He looked dead. I think he's dead. I kicked him.' She, in turn, was so disturbed by what she had been told that she drove to where Arnold told her the attack took place and found Paul's body. Paramedics were called and battled for 20 minutes to save him before he was declared dead. In May 2004, Arnold was sentenced to life for his murder and ordered that he serve a minimum of 11 years and 341 days. Det. Insp. Jason Hogg commented: 'We are very pleased with the verdict. We feel justice has been done. This was a dreadful attack, made particularly horrible by the fact that there was a racist element.' In April 2005, after an appeal, Arnold's minimum tariff was reduced to just under 10 years.

05/03, Johnny Delaney, 14, Ellesmere Port (Liverpool)

Johnny, who was from a Traveller family, was found with serious head injuries in a field and later died in hospital. In November 2003, the trial began at Chester Crown Court of two 16-year old boys charged with murder. One of the boys was allegedly heard to say that Johnny deserved it because 'he was only a f**king Gypsy'. The two boys, who tried to blame one another, were found not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. The Judge, Mr Justice Richards, told the court he did not believe the attack was racially motivated. However, the police said after the verdict that the murder had been investigated as racially motivated because of the use of racist language. Johnny's father, Patrick Delaney, commented, 'There is no justice here. They were kicking my son like a football. Are they going to let this happen to another Gypsy?.. As far as we're concerned it was a racist attack.'

06/03, Awais Alam, 45, Leyton, (north-east London)

This father of three was attacked by two White men on the busy Walthamstow High Street and later died. He allegedly confronted the men after they made racist comments. They then knocked him down and kicked him as he lay on the ground. Police were treating the attack as racially motivated.

11/03, Quadir Ahmed, 59, Ruislip (west London)

An Indian restaurant owner died nearly a month after suffering head injuries in a racist attack outside his restaurant in Eastcote Village near Ruislip, west London. In September 2004, 19-year-old Daniel Palmer was jailed for life for Quadir's murder. The court was told that Palmer and his gang had been throwing eggs at the Zhai restaurant on Halloween night and Quadir and his brother came out to remonstrate with the gang. Palmer attacked him with an estate agent's 'for sale' sign. The gang were heard mimicking Asian accents and Palmer ran off laughing, boasting that he had broken Quadir's nose. Palmer was sentenced to a minimum of twelve years.

03/04, Kris Donald, 15, Glasgow, Scotland

Kris Donald was walking through Pollockshields when a gang of Asian men snatched him from the street. His badly beaten body was found 16 hours later on waste ground. The attack allegedly took place after another man, known only as 'X', swore revenge after being attacked in a nightclub with a bottle. On 18 November 2004, 20-year-old Daanish Zahid was found guilty by a unanimous verdict of racially aggravated murder, abduction and of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by destroying evidence by setting fire to the car used to snatch Kris. He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 17 years. Daanish Zahid lodged a special defence incriminating 'X' and another person who cannot be legally identified. 20-year-old Zahid Mohammed's not guilty plea to the murder charge was accepted on the first day of the trial; however he did admit abducting Kris and was sentenced to five years.

04/04, Shahid Aziz, 30, Leeds

Shahid was murdered by his cellmate, Peter McCann, in Leeds prison. Evidence showed that he was attacked from behind, his throat was cut and he was hit repeatedly with a chair leg as he lay dying. He alleged that he had been attacked first but he did not suffer any defence injuries. Police and the CPS alleged the murder was not racially motivated. McCann had previously attacked other prisoners and had objected to Shahid using his own language and having to share a cell with an Asian but he denied being racist. Shahid had previously made allegations of racism at the prison and these, along with those of twenty others, mainly Black and Minority Ethnic, current or former prisoners at Leeds, were collected and submitted to the Commission for Racial Equality, the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman and the Prison Service. In Juyly 2004, McCann pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a 12 year tariff. (IRR News Story: Dossier reveals failure to investigate complaints of racism at Leeds Prison).

04/04, Akberali Tayabali Mohamedally, 80, Northolt (west London)

An elderly Pakistani man wasattacked at the White Hart roundabout subway in Northolt, west London, and taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police said they were treating the attack as racially motivated. Two youths were arrested and one was later charged with his murder. Michael Evans, 17, and James Carney, 20, were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to ten years each.

04/04, Brij Brushan Sharma, 37, Moneymore (Northern Ireland)

Following a dispute on the street, an Indian shopkeeper and father of two, who was visiting his girlfriend in the town of Moneymore, was punched and hit his head on the road. He died two days later of severe head injuries. Stephen McGlone pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to seventeen months. His brother Mark, who had said 'he's only a Pa** bas***d', pleaded guilty to attempted intimidation. The court did not regard the attack as racially motivated.

05/04, Bapishankar Kathirgamamathan, 24, Ashford (Kent)

A Sri Lankan-born restaurant worker died two weeks after being racially attacked in Ashford, Kent. Bapishankar suffered serious head injuries after he and a friend were racially attacked on a footbridge in Victoria Road on 22 April 2001. Two men, James Rossiter, 22, and Tony Pile, 18, were charged with murder and remanded into custody. In July 2004, the men were convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 25 years. In October 2005, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentences from 25 years to 21 years, saying that the trial judges failed to take into account the men's ages and that the reduction did not diminish the 'horrific' crime.

09/04, Kalan Kawa Karim, 29, Swansea

An Iraqi asylum seeker died in hospital after being attacked by a White man outside a pub in Swansea. Kalan was disabled - he had lost a leg below the knee after being tortured in Iraq. He came to the UK to seek asylum in 2002 and had been living in Swansea. Kalan was walking home with a friend when three men attacked them; Kalan was punched in the back of the head and taken to Morriston hospital, where he later died. Police treated the attack as racially motivated. Eight days after his murder, 26-year-old Lee Mordecai was charged with Kalan's murder. In February 2005, Mordecai admitted manslaughter and was jailed for five years.

01/05, Deraye Lewis, 3, Bletchley (Buckinghamshire)

A 3-year-old boy died after being beaten by 36-year-old Nicholas Halling, the boyfriend of his Black mother Donna Humphrey. On the day of the death, police were called to the couple's home in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, after Halling assaulted Donna. However, once officers arrived Donna refused to make a complaint and they were unable to take further action despite seeing Deraye crying. A court was told that Deraye had suffered a perforated ear drum, seventy-three other injuries and had been burned with cigarettes. On the day of his death, he had suffered a blow to his abdomen that split his duodenum, poisoning his blood system. The court was also told that Halling had referred to the little boy as 'Black ba***rd' and wrote 'n**ger' on him in felt pen. Deraye was even forced to repeat these words. In April 2006, Halling was jailed for life with a recommendation that he serve at least twenty years.

04/05, Mi Gao Huang Chen, 41, Wigan

A Chinese takeaway owner was murdered in a gang attack by over twenty youths in Wigan. The murder came after a long campaign of racial harassment suffered by Mi Gao Huang Chen and his partner, Eileen Jia, who alleged that the police failed to take their reports of racist harassment seriously. She had also been charged with assault and affray after defending herself. Six teenagers have been charged with murder and others, aged between 14 and 17, have also been charged with various offences including affray and violent disorder in connection with the incident that led to his death. In December 2005, Anthony Dunleavy, Joe Sankey, Jason Hughes and Jamie Stephens, who were aged 15 and 16 at the time of the murder, were sentenced to up to ten years. The judge described the group as acting 'far worse than a pack of wild dogs'. Mi Gao's partner, Eileen, accused the police of failing to prevent the racist murder that was precipitated by a campaign of harassment on the couple's takeaway. The police denied the murder was racially motivated.

06/05, Mugilan Sutherman, 43, Failsworth, Oldham

A kitchen-fitter who had come to the UK from Singapore was beaten to death by a gang of youths when he failed to give them a light for a cigarette. In January 2006, Guy Richardson, 18, and two unnamed 17-year-olds pleaded guilty to manslaughter and were told they faced substantial custodial sentences. Mugilan, also known as 'Muggy', was attacked after going to visit a friend in a local takeaway. A witness said Muggy was called 'some names' and then knocked to the ground with his head 'kicked like a football'. Guy Richardson, 18, was served an indeterminate sentence because of his 'significant risk to the public', having to serve at least two years 107 days before being considered for parole. Kyle Bardsley, 18 and James Finnigan, 17, were sentenced to four years nine months.

07/05, Kamal Raza Butt, 48, Nottingham

A Pakistani man found unconscious outside a shop in Nottingham was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead. It is thought that he refused demands for cigarettes from a gang of youths who then racially abused him and punched him to the ground. It is alleged he was called 'Taliban' during the attack. In April 2006, 17-year-old youth, Mardell Pennant, was sentenced to an 18 months' detention and training order in a young offenders' institute after pleading guilty to the manslaughter of Kamal in a joint enterprise with another youth, against whom charges were dropped. Detective Chief Insp Russ Foster commented after the plea that 'no evidence was found to suggest Mr Butt was targeted due to his race or religious belief'. (IRR News Story: 18-month sentence for manslaughter of Pakistani man).

07/05, Anthony Walker, 17, Liverpool

Anthony, his 17-year-old girlfriend and a cousin, Marcus Binns, also 17, were waiting at a bus stop in Huyton, Merseyside, when they were subjected to racist abuse. They decided to move to another bus stop and took a short cut through a park. They were followed to the park by a White gang who attacked Anthony. Anthony's girlfriend and cousin went for help and, when they returned, found Anthony attacked with an axe that was left embedded in his skull. He was taken to hospital where he later died. Police have arrested a number of men and have also named another two men wanted in connection with the murder who are thought to have fled the country. The murder was treated as racially motivated. In December 2005, Paul Taylor, 20, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to serve at least 24 years. Michael Barton, 17, was found guilty at trial and sentenced to serve a minimum of 18 years. On sentencing the men, the judge commented ' this was racist thuggery of a type that is poisonous to any civilised society'. In July 2006, Paul Taylor had his appeal against his sentence thrown out by the Court of Appeal.

09/05, Rushi Kamdar, 23, Coventry

Rushi Kamdar, who had come from India to work in the UK a year before, was kicked and stamped to death in a Coventry street in September 2005, after popping out to the shops. Luke Mozid, 18, was found guilty of his murder. The prosecution alleged that the attack was motivated by robbery and racism.

10/05, Isiah Young-Sam, 23, Birmingham

A man died after being stabbed in the chest in Lozells, Birmingham. The attack occurred during disturbances in Birmingham after fighting between African-Caribbean and Asian youths following unsubstantiated allegations that a young African-Caribbean girl had been sexually assaulted. In May 2006, Waqar Ahmed, 26, Azhil Khan, 23, and Afzal Khan, 22, were found guilty of racially aggravated murder, the judge ordered that the men serve a minimum of twenty-five years. The men were also found guilty of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on Locksley Byfield, Isiah's friend, and sentenced to 10 years - to run concurrently.

03/06, Lee Phipps, 31, South Shields, Tyneside

He died of stab wounds on the doorstep of a house in South Shields, close to the home that he shared with his half-Somali mother, Barbara Yusef Porter, who had suffered years of racist abuse from local gangs. Lee had tried to stand up to the gangs and had been beaten while trying to take pictures of the racist thugs abusing him and his mother. Scott Nicholas, 21, was later arrested and charged with murder and in January 2007, he was jailed for life after pleading guilty to murder, with a recommendation that he serve at least 22 years. Police said that they could not prove there was any racist motive behind the attack and that robbery had been the motive. Before his murder, Lee's mother made hundreds of complaints to police about racial abuse. After the murder, Northumbria Assistant Chief Constable Kevin Mathieson reviewed the allegations and decided that at least one attack had been racially motivated. An Independent Police Complaints Commission investigation found that Northumbria police had acted appropriately in their dealings with Barbara Yusef Porter after being accused of racism.

04/06, Christopher Alaneme, 18, Sheerness (Kent)

Christopher died after being stabbed while on a night out with friends in Sheerness, Kent. According to evidence that emerged at the trial in December 2007, a racist remark was made about Christopher (who was Black and over six foot tall). Christopher's friends objected and remonstrated with a group of about fifteen youths. One threw a punch at Christopher, others threw a beer bottle and pint glass, which missed their targets. Members of the gang then chased Christopher, who, with hands in a defensive posture, was backed into a grassy area with a wall behind him. He was punched in the head, fell to the ground, where he was then stabbed. A White man was also attacked after seeing the commotion and going to Christopher's aid. Peter Connolly was sentenced to life - with a minimum term of fifteen years in prison. Although there were racial connotations to the events of 21 April, and there was no dispute that racist remarks had been made, the judge, who could have imposed an additional tariff for racial aggravation, determined at a sentencing hearing that this was not a clear racial crime. Because the remarks had not been uttered by Connolly and Connolly had gone on to attack a White man, the judge could not be satisfied that racism was the specific motivation in the murder. (IRR News Story: White man sentenced for murder).

04/06, Khizar Hyat, London

05/06, Hamidullah Hamidi, London

Two shop workers were injured in a racist firebomb attack on their shop in Kennington, south London. Khizar Hyat died after being trapped in his shop. His colleague died in hospital nearly a month later from injuries sustained during the arson attack. On 4 May 2006, 32-year-old Robert Torto appeared before Greenwich magistrates charged with murder. In July 2007, a judge ordered that he be detained at Broadmoor Hospital indefinitely after he pleaded guilty to three counts of arson with intent to endanger life on the grounds of diminished responsibility. He also pleaded guilty to a further count of arson at a Tulse Hill newsagent. Judge Peter Beaumont ordered Torto be detained for an indefinite period. Police officers found a handwritten note detailing different bombs and targets, including gay clubs, hospitals carrying out sex changes and non-Christian religious institutions.

07/06, Mohammed Pervaiz, 41, Huddersfield

An Asian taxi driver died from head injuries after a racist gang attack in the Golcar area of Huddersfield. In January 2007, the trial of Christopher Murphy and Michael Hand, both 19, Graeme Slavin, 18, and Steven Utley, 17, who denied charges of murder, was told by an unnamed 17-year old how they planned the ambush of a taxi driver in revenge for an earlier incident during which a scooter was damaged. Other witnesses told the court of racist language and how Mohammed was attacked by a gang of men like a 'pack of wolves'. During the trial Hand changed his plea to guilty but in February 2007, Murphy, Slavin and Utley were found guilty of the racially-aggravated murder after a six week trial at Leeds Crown Court. Murphy and Hand were ordered to serve at least 25 and 21 years as ringleaders of the attack and Slavin and Utley were given 17-year minimum terms. Michael Beeby, 16, and Jason Harris, 17, were cleared of murder and manslaughter, but convicted of violent disorder receiving ten-and eight-month detention and training orders respectively.

07/06, Changez Arif, 33, Manchester

Changez was found stabbed to death in an alleyway near his home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester. Police ruled out racial motivation saying the attack was a revenge attack. In January 2007, Michael Skeffington, 19, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he serve 15 years for stabbing Changez five times in revenge after losing a fight. The case was only allowed to be reported in July 2007 after Skeffington pleaded guilty to another assault along with his twin brother David following an attack on another Asian - again involving a knife. In September 2003, Skeffington had been given a two-year ASBO by Manchester magistrates after being accused of racist behaviour which banned him from entering an area of Cheetham Hill.

08/06 Wei Wang, 41, Glasgow

A Chinese asylum seeker died in hospital twelve days after being attacked in a 'totally unprovoked' attack just yards from his home in the Sighthill area of Glasgow. He had been in the Glasgow area for three months after being dispersed from London. A 19-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with the murder. In May 2007, Paul Brown was sentenced to life imprisonment (at least 17 years) for murder. The court was told that Brown struck Wei over the head with a bottle and then rifled through his pockets, as he lay unconscious, stealing his wallet. Another man, Mark Kerr, 18, was sentenced to four years and six months after pleading guilty to reduced charges of serious assault in exchange for his testimony against Brown.

11/06, Syed Sorafot Ali, 76, Sunderland

A grandfather collapsed and died after suffering a suspected heart attack in the street after running to his daughter's home which had been torched in a racist arson attack in Sunderland. Four people, including a 14-year-old boy, were arrested and later bailed in connection with the arson attack, with no further action being taken against them.

05/07 Tarsen Nahar, 44, west London

Tarsen Nahar, (aka 'Cookie'), was found dead in Hayes on 19 May 2007. Daryl O'Connor, 18, of Peal Gardens, Perivale, has denied robbing a wallet and a mobile phone on April 30 and causing racially aggravated actual bodily harm to Nahar. A trial date has been set for 5 June 2009.

05/07, Marlon Moran, 21, Liverpool

A man described as 'mixed race' was stabbed to death in Garston after being subjected to a campaign of racist abuse in the months up to his death. Four people were charged with murder: three 18-year-olds, Daniel Masher, Callum Kennedy, Jordan Crawford and an unnamed 16-year-old (who admitted a previous conviction for racial abuse). In December 2007, Liverpool Crown Court was told how on the day he died the gang arrived armed with weapons, shouting racist abuse and threatening Marlon. Marlon with a hockey stick to defend himself, began to walk towards the gang who retreated into Masher's home. The gang then re-emerged and Marlon was stabbed. Daniel Masher was convicted of unlawfully killing Marlon (saying he acted in self-defence) and three others - Callum Kennedy, Jordan Crawford and the unnamed 16-year-old boy - were cleared of all charges. Masher has yet to be sentenced.

08/07 Adam Michalski, 24, Wrexham

Adam Michalski, a Polish migrant worker, was stabbed to death in a Wrexham street as he tried to get away from his assailant. In December 2007, Thomas Blue, 25, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum of 17 years to be served, after being found guilty of the murder which he said was in self defence. The trial was told how he abused Adam for being Polish and then later stabbed him four times. The judge said he was satisfied that there was a racist element.

10/07 Gregory Fernandes, 32, Fawley, Hampshire

An Indian sailor died after being attacked by a gang in Fawley Hampshire. Gregory and a shipmate were returning to their ship berthed at Fawley oil refinery when they were attacked by a 20-strong gang. Gregory's friend escaped but Gregory was beaten. A passer-by took Gregory back to his ship where he collapsed and died. Police have said that Gregory was attacked because of his race. Ten teenagers, aged 13-17, were arrested on suspicion of murder, GBH and violent disorder and later released on bail. In January 2007, the Fernandes family expressed concern at the police investigation and the failure to charge anyone in connection with his death.

12/07, Ahmed Hassan, 17, Dewsbury

This student died after being stabbed in the back after an unprovoked attack at Dewsbury train station as he waited for a train to go shopping for Eid presents. Two people - Michael Brook, 18 and an unnamed 17-year-old - have been charged with his murder,.

12/07, Asaf Mahmood Ahmed, 28, Bolton

Asaf died from severe head injuries after he was attacked as he went to shops near his home near Derby Ward Labour Club in Bolton. Jason Bolton, 18, and an unnamed 15-year-old boy were remanded in custody by Bolton Magistrates accused of murder. Police have said the attack was being treated as racially motivated after racist abuse was heard.

Click here to read about murders from 1991-1999 with a suspected or known racial element.

* The IRR considers that the identification of racially motivated murders and attacks must depend on an objective evaluation of the whole context in which the murder or attack takes place and not just on the skin colour or ethnicity of the alleged perpetrator(s) or victim. In particular, the IRR would regard a murder or attack as racially motivated if the evidence indicates that someone of a different ethnicity, in the same place and similar circumstances, would not have been attacked in the same way. Subject to the above, a formal legal finding or allegation of racial motivation would be taken as prima facie (but not definitive) evidence that a murder or attack was racially motivated.Last updated on 31 January 2008. Additional information on these cases is available on request.

The Institute of Race Relations is precluded from expressing a corporate view: any opinions expressed are therefore those of the authors.