R v Mohammed Saddam Hussain & Anor
[2023] EWCA Crim 1100
R v Gol Ahmed Zazai
5 May 2023
[2023] EWCA Crim 542
Court of Appeal
A man was convicted of murder. He appealed, saying his lawyer wasn't good, he didn't understand the case, and important evidence wasn't given to him. The court didn't believe him and said the appeal was too late anyway.
Key Facts
- •Gol Ahmed Zazai was convicted of murder following a trial at Leeds Crown Court.
- •He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
- •The murder involved strangulation and was alleged to be a joint enterprise with Nasrullah Nakzad.
- •The victim was Najeebullah Nakzad, found dead in a car.
- •Zazai's appeal raised issues of inadequate representation, misunderstanding of evidence and procedures, lack of access to certain evidence (DNA, phone data), mental health issues (PTSD), and uncalled witness testimony.
Legal Principles
Outcomes
Appeal refused.
The court found no merit in any of the grounds of appeal. Issues of representation, understanding of evidence and procedures, access to evidence, mental health, and uncalled witnesses were deemed unsubstantiated or irrelevant to the conviction.
Application for extension of time refused.
The significant delay in lodging the application (127 days) and the lack of supporting medical evidence for the claimed inability to appeal due to mental health issues meant it was not in the interests of justice to grant the extension.