An assassin killed his sister-in-law’s brother before disposing of him in an abandoned car.
On August 31, 2019, a PCSO discovered Najeebullah Nekzad (a young father) dead in his grey Fiat Punto at New Hey Road, Scammonden.
Gol Zazii’s sister was married to Nasrullah Nekzad and was found guilty after an inquest at Leeds Crown Court.
The court also heard that Nasrullah Nezzad was interviewed regarding his brother’s murder, but he fled to Afghanistan.
Gol Zazai has been convicted of the murder of Najeebullah Nekzad, pictured, whose body was found in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire on August 31, 2019
Jurors learned that the vehicle was spotted by a member the public three days earlier to its grim discovery. They then reported it to West Yorkshire Police.
Nekzad’s death was confirmed by medics shortly after the PCSO found his body and detectives launched an investigation.
Nasrullah Nezzad was questioned by police and escaped to Afghanistan. He is still there, Alistair MacDonald, the prosecutor.
Zazai (29), of Albemarle Terrace, Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester was also interrogated and eventually charged with murder nearly two years later.
According to Mr MacDonald, a 911 call was placed just before 9 o’clock on August 30, by police.
Jurors were told by him that the lay-by was located in a remote location and it wasn’t common for cars to leave there overnight.
According to Mr MacDonald, the Fiat had been parked in an ‘unique angle’ and its bonnet was facing the moors.
M. MacDonald stated that a PCSO had been dispatched on August 31 to investigate the silver Fiat Punto.
According to the court, Mr Nekzad was strangled and then his body was taken in a Fiat Punto.
“She found the body of an adult male in the passenger’s seat. It was fully reclined, and only the back windows had been darkened.
“The officer couldn’t wake the man, and it soon became evident that he was extremely cold.
The man sitting in front of me sustained a serious injury to his neck.
“Paramedics were summoned and, after all the checks required, confirmed that the man had indeed died.”
According to the Fiat registration, it was registered by Nasrullah Nezzad who, along with his brother, worked at Chick Corner on Old Street in Ashton-under-Lyne.
As police investigated Mr Nekzad’s death, three ligature marks (on his neck) were discovered.
The court heard Mr MacDonald describe signs of pressure on the neck using a Ligature.
MacDonald stated to jurors that Najeebullah Nezzad had been strangled.
According to him, a ligature which matched Mr Nekzad was located nearby on the moors in a garage.
MacDonald stated that it was the prosecution’s case that Najeebullah Negzad was murdered by two men.
“The older brother was the first, and Gol Zazai was the second. One man is in the dock.
“That’s because, at an earlier stage in the inquiry, after he had already been interviewed, Nasrullah Nakzad (the brother of the deceased) left the UK to return to Afghanistan.
The prosecution says that the two men in question were involved together in the crime, so it does not matter if one of them hasn’t been brought to trial.
“Why is the prosecution claiming that Gol Zazai was guilty of this crime?
“Because during the period preceding the death of Najeebullah Nezzad, he was with Najeebullah. He and the brother were there and were the last to see him alive. They also, in Gol Zazai’s case, told lies about his last sighting.
According to the prosecution, these lies are meant only to hide his involvement in Najeebullah Nikzad’s murder.
Jurors were informed that Nasrullah Nezzad was married with Mr Zazai’s sister.
The Nekzad brothers were working in Chick Corner from August 27 to 28. They continued until the wee hours of the morning on August 28.
Mr MacDonald stated that Nasrullah Nezzad visited the family home around 4.15am, but phoned Zazai and his brother younger brother.
According to the prosecution, Zazai was at 4.30AM when he met Nasrullah Nekszad.
He said that a Chevrolet Spark driving by Zazai arrived at the Huddersfield petrol station around 5.34am. Later, Mr Nekzad joined them with a Fiat.
According to the prosecutor, it was also the Crown’s claim that Nasrullah Neksad was in front of his younger brother’s Fiat.
The cars were said to have left the Petrol Station and traveled in the direction Manchester. Nekzad’s last known sighting was at 6.10 AM.
At 6.26am, the two vehicles passed Nont Sarah’s Pub. MacDonald stated that both cars were in New Hey Road’s vicinity until 7.17 am.
He stated that it was the Crown’s view that Mr Nekzad was killed by the two men in the 51-minute time period.
The jury was then informed that the cars traveled in tandem throughout nearby areas including Holmfirth, Glossop and Glossop. Their last sighting together occurred at 9.21am.
According to the prosecution, it was Nasrullah Nezzad driving the Fiat at this time with his dead brother in the front seat.
They travelled in tandem for three hours, before Zazai’s Chevrolet was seen alone at the Old Post Office at 10:02 AM.
According to Mr MacDonald, this allowed Zazai (Narullah Nakzad) and Nasrullah Nezzad (Zazai) a 2-minute window to “dump the body” in the Fiat’s lay-by.
At 10.22 am, the Chevrolet was located at an address in Ashton-under-Lyne on Henrietta Street. It is close to Zazai, Nasrullah Nekzad, and Zazai.
A mere minute later, Nasrullah Nezzad appeared to be returning home from his nearby residence.
According to Mr MacDonald, Mr Nekzad has never been home.
A black covering had partly covered the body with Zazai’s DNA. Zazai was interviewed by police for the first time on September 13, 2019, and denied having any involvement in Mr Nekzad’s death.
According to him, the last time they had seen each other was when he was praying at their mosque on Aug 23.
Zazai was interviewed on June 29, 2013, and was then shown CCTV footage of the petrol station.
He claimed he couldn’t remember the details and said that they drove to the station for fuel.
Also, he said that Mr Nekzad was upset by a family death and had left. He didn’t want him to return.
MacDonald stated that these were lies meant to conceal his involvement.
M. MacDonald asked the jurors: “Surely, he would want the truth to be told and assist the police in every way that he could?”
Zazai will face a sentence on March 8.