24 Hours in Police Custody (2014) s01e01 Episode Script
The Conspiracy to Murder
- Alpha India 11.
- 'Alpha India 11, go ahead.
' Just thought I'd make you aware that the convoy is now making its way to your end, 309.
RADIO BEEPS 'All copy, thank you.
' What we've got is, this morning, suspect number six, Mahboob Baig, born 1982.
Just a gentle knocking, see if there's a reply at the door, and if there's no reply, then entry will be forced.
There it is.
See the little porch with the black door? It's got a camera on the front.
Just abandon it! Police.
Come to the door, please.
Hello, Mr Baig, can we come in the house, please? We've got a warrant to search your address.
You scared me, early in the morning.
We do these things early, unfortunately.
If we can go into your lounge.
Is it all right to go in there? Help yourself.
Yeah? I'm arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
to suggest that you were involved in the shooting of Atif Ali on Leicester Road on or about 20th May.
which you later rely on in court.
Anything you do so may be given in evidence.
Do you understand? Yes.
I'm going to handcuff you, unfortunately.
See if you can get some socks and shoes on for us.
That was good.
He's in.
Is that the guy? Yeah.
(He's massive, isn't he? Big old boy.
) Once a suspect is in custody, the police have 24 hours to investigate and interview.
After that, it's either charge or release.
'You've been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
' On suspicion of stalking.
On suspicion of GBH.
Possession and making of indecent images of children.
On suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Start explaining.
It's the police's job to ask what really happened.
Where were you on 28th March? It was not me! I was not there! That could have been 101 people.
But it's nothing to do with me.
Police! Open the door now! Who's innocent? Who's guilty? Why would Pete say that you'd assaulted him? Because he's deluded.
He's a drunk.
Well, that's nonsense.
Police! Put up your hands! From the streets, to the interrogation rooms.
Where's the knife? Did you have a knife? He made a specific threat that he is going to kill her.
From the suspects, to the head of CID.
ALARM BLARES These are the men and women who have just 24 hours to find the evidence.
I'm not letting him get away with it.
I want him nicked and charged.
If he kicks off, I'm out of the door.
I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Will they discover it before time runs out? Good news.
Yeah.
Got him.
CLOCK TICKS I'm just going to do a quick search and a quick pat down.
Thank you.
To speed up the process, have you got any mobile phones in the house? I've got my personal one.
Where's that? We need to seize that as well.
OK.
Where's that at the minute? I'll give it to you, it's fine.
Yeah? OK, cool.
Can I just brush my teeth? The suspect, Mahboob Baig, is believed to be a key player in the conspiracy to murder.
It's all just my phone, yeah? It's all just your phone, yeah (!) Daddy, what you doing? The investigation has taken nearly a year.
The next 24 hours will determine Have you still got the keys? KEYS JANGLE OK, good morning.
Time of arrest, please.
6:35.
And what is the offence? Conspiracy to murder.
Circumstances, please.
Briefly, I've got information received to suggest that he's involved in a conspiracy to murder of Atif Ali on and before 20th May, 2013.
OK, do you understand why you've been arrested? No.
Did you understand what the officer has just explained? Yeah.
But I still don't understand.
I know.
But it's been explained? Yeah.
OK, so I'm going to authorise your detention so that you can be interviewed regarding this information the police have received and that gives you the opportunity to give an explanation.
OK, yeah.
Can you switch this on for us? Ah, is that his? So you're seizing it? We seized it at the house but he won't give us the PIN.
'Before I was a policeman, I was a holiday rep.
It was young fun.
'I worked in Magaluf for a couple of summers and I met my wife.
'But it just got to the point 'I needed a proper job.
' And I saw an advert in the local paper about can you deal with drunks, can you deal with domestics, can you deal with fights? And, as a holiday rep, I'd already dealt with all those sorts of things.
I like it.
I've been away for five minutes, come back, and find that you've nicked my cup.
I have? Yes! Get a cup of coffee in you cos I need you alert for the interviews, all right? I'll let you get yourself settled for five minutes after your holiday to Vegas.
Where have you been? Vegas.
How much money did you lose? We took $1.
600 spending money.
Right.
And after the first three days - gambling, food, drinks, the whole lot - we were about $150 down.
That was it.
Really? Yeah, one day, we won $1.
000 between the four of us, just on slot machines.
Just stand against the ruler please, so I can see how tall you are.
Yeah.
6'4 ".
Thank you.
I used to be 6'5".
What happens is, your spine takes the strain from lifting overhead, and from all that Mr Baig.
Yes? Any history of self-harming? No.
And how do you feel now? Fine.
Just a bit upset.
OK.
Would you like to have a solicitor? Yeah.
Attiq Malik.
And would you like to read a book called The Codes of Practice which explains all our police powers and procedures? I don't like reading, but, yeah.
Last question.
If anybody rings in to ask about you being arrested here, do you give us permission to tell them? Erm It's either yes or no, I can't do, "Yes, only if it's my mum.
" No, then.
Says here you're slim.
I am slim.
Will it go any lower, actually? If not, slouch a little bit.
Your head's poking up a little bit.
You might have to, sort of There you go.
I'll just take your DNA.
I think I'll be able to reach your mouth.
This is a copy of the warrant.
It's a Section 8 warrant.
That will be your copy.
You get to keep a copy of that.
Hopefully, we're not going to be to do the search.
Police are searching for any evidence that links Baig to the crime.
RADIO: 'Obviously, looking for firearms, mobile phones, 'SIM cards' The mobile phone that was used to coordinate the shooting has never been found.
OK, dog's going to go through first, with a start time of 7:25.
HE YAWNS LOUDLY I can't get up on the best of days.
Do you want anything to eat? Yes, please.
We've got an all-day breakfast with cereals.
So it's Corn Flakes or Crunchy Nut.
Crunchy Nut, please.
So, you want Crunchy Nut? Thank you.
OK? See you in a little bit.
See you.
If we don't find what we need, we may need to go into his workplace as well.
We'll be just looking for the mobile phone.
It is the main phone we're looking for that he communicated as part of the offence.
'Haven't got the phone yet.
'However, we do have the box for the phone with the IMEI on the side.
' That's a brilliant result in itself, mate.
Thank you for that.
'We're not even halfway through the search yet.
But I thought I'd keep you in the loop.
' Gary, Martin.
Go down to my little office, and I'll talk you through all this.
Nice holiday? Yes.
Was it wedding vows or something you had? No, we just went out there.
we went there and it was cracking.
What we've got.
Mahboob Baig in custody today.
Mahboob Baig is the brother-in-law of Shazhad Mahroof, the main suspect in the conspiracy.
Interesting development just come in.
They've found the 818 phone box in the house.
Haven't found the phone yet, the search is ongoing, but they've found the box with the IMEI on it.
And this 818 phone is very important and the reasons for that are that on the morning of the offence, this phone contacts most of the key parties involved.
He's asked for Mr Malik.
The client would like to speak to him.
Conspiracy to murder.
Just going to do consultation in room C, if you're happy, sergeant.
Mr Baig.
Yeah.
Whose representative is Mr Malik.
'Fighting for people with rights.
That is something that I do like.
Ensuring that people get justice, people have the right representation, and fighting their corner because when someone's in the police station, it's very easy to become very intimidated.
Being that person's sword and shield, that in itself is very, very gratifying.
My first day back.
I've just come back from Vegas.
Have you? Yeah.
So my time clock body clock's all over the place! 'I really enjoy doing interviewing.
' There's always two sides, at least, to anyone's story.
So, let's see what they've got to say.
Chris Hutton.
Yeah, Detective Sgt Hutton.
Oh.
We are with the big boys then, aren't we? Fraid so.
Looking at what we've got at the minute, we've got the phone box, and it's the number that calls all the key offenders.
Are we geared up for the interview? Had some delay getting the solicitor here, lost a couple of hours there.
Police aren't yet prepared to reveal their discovery of the mobile phone box to Baig's lawyer.
Well, none of this This is in the public domain anyway, what's the actual disclosure for Are you going to ask him what you'd expect, but of course my question is why? What's the evidence? At the moment So at the moment there's no further disclosure? Not at this moment in time.
'If you get a murder, ' it's normally drugs, money, or women.
You're huge! HE LAUGHS I'm glad you're friendly.
- Offence? - Criminal damage, domestic.
Basically, this gentleman's PS4 has broken today.
And he's proceeded to smash the door At home? Yeah.
Have I got time for a cigarette, please? It's no smoking.
- It's a public building.
Do you have any medical conditions? - Bad chest.
Bad chest, what do you mean? Water goes on it inside, I don't know what you call it.
Emphysema? I don't know what it's called.
So, lungs or chest? It goes It's in here, like HE COUGHS I've had a bad week all week.
I know, I'VE had a bad week all week.
Yeah.
We all have.
I'm not well.
I know or me.
Why aren't you well? I'm not well.
What aren't you well? Tell me what's wrong with you.
I'm just not well.
Can I go and smoke in the yard or something? Listen to me.
I am handing over at three o'clock.
OK? Because I, I need to get out of here before I punch somebody.
So, last month I got a CT scan done, yeah? There seems to be a muscle tear there.
One of the major tendons from the chest to the shoulder, it's come off.
No way! They can't do anything cos it's been over a year.
It's cos of the functional training, innit? But it's really bad, man.
You don't know, you could be fine one minute and then, that's that.
How long have you been working out? A long time.
I used to play rugby, but it destroyed me in the end.
Did it? What, the back and that? Strangely enough, I was a full-back.
I used to be 13.
5 stone and a racing snake.
I could do 100 metres in under 12 seconds.
But, yeah, I've had five knee operations.
One cruciate snapped.
And the other one's got a 20% cut in it and they won't replace it.
It's a top game, rugby, though.
I've fractured cheekbone, fractured skull.
Broken arm.
'Being a holiday rep beforehand, my whole job' was to talk to people.
Uh Have fun, and have a laugh.
Sometimes it wasn't always fun and sometimes it wasn't always a laugh, but you learn an awful lot OK, when I hit this button, it starts recording.
MACHINE BEEPS - It's working, marvellous.
- OK, this interview is being recorded I'm DC 140 Martin Hart, currently working the Serious Crime based at Luton Police Station.
The other officer present is Investigation officer 3889, Gary Hales.
And the time that I've got is 11.
36.
OK.
What I'm going to do now is read out the disclosure that we gave to your solicitor.
The bottom line is, your client was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Atif Ali in Luton on Monday 20th May 2013.
The circumstances are that at approximately 8 o'clock on that day, the victim left his home address on his way to work.
from Weatherby Road, his vehicle was hit from behind by another car.
Ali pulled up outside the Leicester Arms, got out of his vehicle to inspect the damage.
As he was standing up he was shot once to the leg, causing massive injuries.
It is believed that Ali was shot following a history of issues Up to today, a total of seven other people have been arrested in connection with this enquiry.
The persons charged are Mahroof, Sajed Hussain, Bernard Pillay, and Matthew McCafferty.
In this interview, your client will be asked to account for any knowledge he has about this, the people mentioned above and the circumstances around this offence.
Could you just confirm that that is What I can confirm is that this disclosure was given to me.
Yup.
And that this part of it is setting out the circumstances of the offence in question.
It did not set out what the evidence against my client was.
And upon noting that, I did ask you is that correct? That's correct.
'It's at their discretion, whether they give you information As a solicitor, I need to be able to advise my client on the strengths and weakness of the case against them.
It's only by knowing that that I can say to him, you know, OK, 'there is a case that you have to be worried about or there isn't.
'You should answer questions or you shouldn't.
' There's an old saying which a lot of criminal lawyers follow.
"If in doubt, say nowt.
" My next question is literally, what can you tell me about the offence? And the answer to that is You've got a prepared statement, OK.
I, Mahboob Baig, will say as follows, instructed by me and written by my legal representative.
My only knowledge of this offence is what is already in the public domain.
I have no other knowledge, information or involvement in it, I am not involved in any conspiracy to murder and I'm shocked to find myself here today.
I am not a career criminal, I am a working professional and family man.
I do know Mahroof and Sajed Hussain.
Mahroof is a family member and Sajed Hussain is simply known to me in the community.
I do not know Bernard Pillay or Matthew McCafferty.
In light of the limited disclosure that was given, I have no recourse but to advise my client to answer "No comment" to all questions.
Yes.
In law, you've got a right to silence, you do not have to answer any question I put to you.
There is a "but".
But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.
That's to say yes, you do have a right to silence.
If you end up going to court and you then answer the questions that the officers have put to you, they might decide to draw an inference.
So they could say, hang on, you had the chance to talk and didn't.
OK? You got that, any questions about that? No.
Cool.
OK.
So I know you said in your prepared statement, you're a family man.
How many children do you have? No comment.
How old are they? No comment.
OK.
Um What's your wife's name? No comment.
How long have you been married? No comment.
OK.
I did actually forget to ask you something at the start, and that's, how do you want me to refer to you as? Do you want me to call you Mr Baig, Mahboob, Mabs? - Er - Sorry, it's something I forgot, and I should have done it.
- OK.
Just for politeness.
He probably prefers Mr Baig.
OK, no problem.
- Baig, chap in the middle Yeah.
- Senior detectives in CID are still assessing the strength of their case.
The key phone that links him in is this phone ending 818.
Yes.
Dirty phone, unregistered, pay as you go.
How we're linking it to him is via Welcome Finance.
Welcome Finance confirm that he gave that as his number.
We've also got it recorded in Sajed Hussain's phone.
What's he got it in his phone as? He's got it recorded as Mab.
Maybe Baig, Mabs Baig.
Yeah, OK.
Now, we know that he's known as Mabs because he was a member of David Lloyd Leisure for a few weeks, a month, a trial membership in November 2013 and he gave that as his name, Mabs.
You're obviously You keep yourself in far better condition than I do.
Do you have a home gym? No comment.
Or any gyms at all? No comment.
OK.
Um Have you ever been to David Lloyd gym in Luton? No comment.
Have you ever signed in there? No comment.
What name did you use to sign in? No comment.
Did you use Mahboob Baig? No comment.
Did you use Mabs? No comment.
OK.
When you were arrested, and brought in You have an iPhone, I believe.
Do you know your phone number off the top of your head? No comment.
It ends in, is it 585? No comment.
Are there any other phones in your house? No comment.
Does your good lady have a mobile phone? No comment.
Is it a case of, you don't recall? No comment.
Or that you simply don't want to answer? No comment.
OK.
Moving on.
What can you tell me about Mahroof? No comment.
OK.
Sajed Hussain.
You say you know him from the community.
Can you explain a little bit more about that? No comment.
Moving on, do you know a chap by the name of Matthew McCafferty? No comment.
Are you a football fan? No comment.
LAUGHTER People might turn round and say, I'm not a football fan cos I follow West Ham, but that's beside the point.
19th May was the end of the Premier League season.
Last year.
Just gives you a memory jogger.
And then moving onto the 20th, which is obviously the Monday, the following day There was a lot of publicity around what happened that day.
You live in the community.
You must have heard of that shooting on that day.
No comment.
I am obliged as an investigator to look at everything.
If I can prove that you had nothing to do with this, I'm obliged to do that.
7.
58, he was shot.
Had you already gone to work and gone past? No comment.
I might have you on CCTV, if you can remember what car it was.
No comment.
You've answered no comment.
You have taken advice.
OK? And I've got no problem with that.
However, you're over the age of 18.
You're a mature adult.
You're a sensible man.
Mr Malik, he gives you advice, it's your choice whether you follow it or not.
All right? It's not a con, it's the way things are.
OK? Bearing that in mind, is there anything at this moment that you think that I need to go away, look at, to prove that you're innocent? No comment.
All right.
In the case, then, the time that I have got is 12.
23.
And I'm concluding this interview.
MACHINE BEEPS So what's the state of play now, then? You're going to Go away, have a quick chat upstairs and then I would imagine There'll be some more disclosure.
There'll be some more disclosure.
Which is what you've been waiting for all along.
Just done in the first place! Oh, no, no, no, no.
'In poker, when you're playing a game of cards, 'Have they got a good hand? With me, I'm always in overdrive.
'I'm trying to think three or four steps ahead because quite often, 'when very little disclosure is given, ' this is one of two things.
Either they've got nothing and it's a fishing expedition, or they HAVE got something and they're setting us up for an ambush.
So I'll have a quick five minutes with him.
And then get ready for round two.
I've got a lot, I swear to God, yeah? I don't feel happy, are you happy now, are you? If you carry on like that I'm going to terminate the phone call.
Sorry, say that again? There's only one person in charge in here and that's me and Tim.
Get off the phone, man, hurry up.
Who you talking to, muppet? Mind your fucking business.
Mind your Mind YOUR fucking business.
Oi! Cell, cell.
Be a woman, deal with it.
Be a woman, deal with it? There you go, then.
Sounds like somebody's having fun.
WOMAN SHOUTS Get off my arm, now! Get off it.
Calm down.
I don't know if I'm going to settle down, do I look settled to you? Do I? God, she's vile, isn't she? No, I'm not.
Just what? Just calm down? It doesn't work Just calm down?! I tell you, mate What you want to do is work out whether we're going to be nice, nice, nice and then not so nice.
PHONE RINGS Hello? It's defence game tennis, we're fighting it at the minute.
'Oh, really?' Yeah, it's messy as shit.
I could be really late.
Where do you want me to magic one up? I'm a custody sergeant, I'm not a magician.
I know, I understand that.
None of us down here smoke.
I know, but can't you ask them to get a couple of dog ends? No! No, I'm not asking my DO to go and pick up dog ends.
OK, is everyone here? Cos I would like to crack on if you don't mind.
I've got somewhere to go.
It is past three o'clock, if that's all right.
CLEARS THROA All right, calm down! HE CHUCKLES Well, we've had the day from hell.
As normal.
Are we ready? OK - M2, a robbery, he's handed himself in, gained entry with a baseball bat and knife.
F1, F1 came in last night really, really intoxicated.
He threatened the father of his ex partner with a large knife.
Number 13 lives at home with his mum.
He got angry cos his PSP had been broken so he decided to go on a bit of a bender and he's ended up smashing Mum's door.
M11 the IP, who is a landlord who was having an argument with the DP regarding rent arrears, when the DP punched him to the face causing his tooth to fall out.
M1-DP has been named by the IP as being responsible for an assault with a brick that caused injuries requiring stitches to his ear.
Number nine Mr Baig.
Police have received information that the DP is involved in the conspiracy to murder Atif Ali.
He has been interviewed once but they're going back into interview, they're just waiting for Mr Malik to come back to the station.
Mr Baig was not somebody that I'd ever heard of, even through the grapevine of being involved with anything criminal, let alone of this magnitude.
He is a family man with three very young children.
Erm, lots of responsibilities, he has very elderly parents who are in their 80s that he cares for as well, and provides for.
And he is a man who in a way, a lot of people in the community can look up to.
From the word go, he said, "Look, don't know why I'm here, "don't know what I'm doing here, what's going on?" Are these all in prison, the rest of them? Bar one.
Every other one has been remanded.
This old boy is quite central.
He's playing very much the The middleman, organising or something.
Yeah.
Very much so.
'I was, actually, on duty on the 20th of May.
' Just before eight o'clock we got a phone call off of the control room and they said, "Gentleman's been shot in Leicester Road.
" Now, the morning commute to work is a pretty mundane part of everyday life.
Imagine the horror, then, for 27-year-old Atif Ali a law-abiding accountant from Luton who was doing just that, he was going to work, when, out of the blue, someone tried to kill him.
TYRES SCREECH He wasn't killed.
by a close-range sawn-off-shotgun blast.
Mr Ali is a really nice, normal fellow.
There is no nothing linking him to anything, any form of criminality, so, why? You know, how many people go to work and get shot in the morning when they've done nothing wrong? My opinion is that Mr Ali was a paid hit.
He was engaged to a young lady.
Another young gentleman, Shahzad Mahroof, asked the family if he could marry her and they said no.
It spiralled from there.
Mr Baig is the brother-in-law of Mahroof.
The search at this address this morning is now finished.
Er, no cash at the location which was quite interesting.
OK.
And a very, very small amount of cannabis.
Enough for, probably, one joint, I'd have thought.
Yeah, one or two max.
Bugger all, really.
You seem to know a lot about? OFFICER CHUCKLES That's 16 years of dealing with.
Not dealing the drugs (?) It was in a Kinder Egg, which is, obviously, not what We normally find other things in Kinder Eggs.
Yeah.
This was cannabis.
Police are now ready to disclose their new evidence.
They believe a phone number ending 818 links Baig directly to the shooting.
So, the mobile phone usage by him on these two numbers? OK, and that's it? Yeah, yeah, that's it.
OK, let's do this RECORDER BEEPS Two mobile numbers have been attributed to your client 0770 693585.
And 0789 543818.
Your client will be asked about mobile phone usage by him and others in the build-up to the offence being committed.
which covers that question "As this offence took place over a year ago without "further information as to who I'm supposed to have contacted, "when and for how long, I am in difficulty answering questions.
"On advice, I answer 'no comment' to all questions.
" OK.
Erm and the other number, 585? a subscriber's check it comes back to a Mahboob Baig, that is your phone, that you pay for on a regular basis.
Is that correct? No comment.
You're sort of nodding as you're saying it.
No comment.
Also, the 585 number, it's worth being said, you've given to both me and DS Hatton prior to your arrest.
So, is it safe to say, that the number that ends 585 is actually - your phone? - No comment.
How's it hurting you to tell me that saying "no comment" to what is just your phone? No comment.
OK, we've got another number for you that we put in the disclosure.
Erm, it's the one you specifically referred to that you don't Didn't find the phone.
Got any idea what's happened to it? - No comment.
- OK.
What we did find is this It's a mobile phone box.
For a Samsung GT-E2121B.
The same one as the 818 number.
On the side of said box is the IMEI number.
That's the same one that that number's been running off of.
It was found .
.
on the top of a wardrobe in the main bedroom, your bedroom, at your house.
What can you tell me about that box? No comment.
Somebody lend it to you? No comment.
Do you keep other people's phone boxes in your bedroom? No comment.
Sajed Hussain you said in your first interview, he's somebody you know from the community.
No comment.
Now, if you only know him through the community, one would guess that you don't talk to him that often.
Your number that ends in 585, between March of last year and January of this year contacted Sajed Hussain 1.
174 times.
That's more times than I speak to my wife.
This is not just a passing friend, is it Sajed? - He's a close friend of yours.
- No comment.
Now, we already know that in Sajed's phone your legitimate, personal phone comes up under "Mabs Bro".
No comment.
In his phone the number for this phone - 818, comes up as "Mabs 2".
It's got Mabs Bro with the phone number, your thing on it and then he's got Mabs 2.
Can you remember the date I told you, when the shooting happened? It was the 20th of May.
Mabs 2 was added to Sajed Hussain's phone on the 13th of May.
Seven days before Mr Ali got shot.
Bear in mind, you talk to each other a lot.
So, why did you give him a second number on the 13th of May? No comment.
Is this a bit of a naughty phone? No comment.
19th of May evening before the shooting.
About a quarter past seven, Sajed's trying to call you on the 585, your iPhone number.
At about nine o'clock you text Sajed saying, "Ring me, bro.
" You text him again, about two minutes later "Call me, please.
" 'Are those calls part of the set-up for the 'what was gonna happen the next day?' No comment.
You then text him half ten.
'Is something going wrong with the plans for the shooting?' - Was it an innocent explanation? - No comment.
You got an 11-second call at 22:33, another one at 22:34.
23:05, 23:26.
And Mahroof calls you at 11 minutes to midnight on the 19th.
So, your brother-in-law is giving you a call at 11 minutes to midnight and you have a conversation for 23 seconds.
Phone's gone down-straightaway you have called Sajed Hussain.
Now, after finishing that call, you phoned Mahroof back again.
'You're the sandwich in between these two.
No comment.
585 right little hotbed of a number.
818, not used very much at all.
818 starts to come to life on the morning of the 20th.
Now, this is the one that really intrigues me.
Can you explain to me why 818 at 6:41 in the morning, The guy from Uxbridge.
Who we know, at that time, has left Uxbridge and is on the motorway on his way down to Luton.
'This is a man who's got no connection, no family in Luton.
'The one thing he has got is previous convictions for firearms' offences.
' He's also got convictions for serious GBH.
Done 11 years for that.
Out and out hardened criminal.
He's got no connection to Luton.
Apart from on the 20th of May To shoot Atif Ali.
At the moment you're contacting him.
6:43 - Sajed Hussain rings 818.
So, is this a gym date that we're sorting out? No comment.
'What sort of job's he got? Is he a milkman or a postman 'or somebody that would normally be up at that time?' No comment.
'Is there an innocent explanation for these calls?' Or are those calls cos of the fact that, at this point, you know that the boys are on their way down from Uxbridge - and the plan's all coming nicely together? - No comment.
But one of the common denominators in all of this is you.
You've got a dirty phone - 818.
You've used it once on the 28th of the 12th, 2012.
A loan was taken out in your name to Welcome Finance.
The contact number that you gave them was 818.
And then after that it only comes up and only lasts for this shooting and then it goes dead.
Give me a justful reason, how could this be a coincidence? No comment.
Was he supposed to die that day? No comment.
Cos he's pissed off your brother-in-law, does that make him an enemy of yours? No comment.
Would you be stupid enough to get involved in someone else's battle? No comment.
He was a very, very lucky boy.
Bullet nicked his femoral.
How he didn't die? Never know.
He must have had everything looking down on him - and praying for him that day.
- Would you like a consultation with me? Would you like a consultation? Yeah.
Yes, please.
Can I have a consultation, please? Pause the interview.
Will it be a quick one or do you want us to stop it and we can have a break.
Yeah, a break.
We've gone on for quite a while, now.
Yeah.
Let's have a quick break.
It's hot in here, get some waters in.
It does, yeah, get everyone a drink.
The time is 16:41 and I'm gonna stop the interview RECORDER BEEPS He's given a very short prepared statement.
He made no comment about the 585 number, so really kicked in on that.
Hit, hit, hit erm, then we went on to 818.
Brought the box out.
Brought everything else out with regards to the finance company and all that sort of stuff.
He's then started twitching.
He's got a left-leg twitch at the moment erm and he's not a happy boy.
This is gonna be some prepared statement.
He's twitching like a madman now.
Yeah, there's some major flak going on in there.
He's panicking now.
Big lad, isn't he? - Wait till he stands up.
- Just keep him calm Yeah! If he kicks off I'm out of the door.
I'm a lover not a fighter.
LAUGHTER The biggest surprise would be if he came out now and he cuffed it.
It could be an interesting ten-minute interview.
I wonder if his knee can jerk around any faster? Did you start at stupid o'clock? Well, seven o'clock I started.
OK.
Police are waiting to reinterview the suspect.
But Baig has been talking to his solicitor for nearly an hour and a half.
Haven't seen hide nor hair.
He's shitting a brick now.
That's cheese sauce.
That was the burger with salad.
That's the 20-ounce stake.
This was the Cheesecake Factory.
That's the starter.
It's massive.
Siegfried and Roy.
You know, those magicians.
That was the view from our bedroom window.
That's the Monte Carlo.
MGM Grand is over there.
The rule was we did $20.
Nikki doubled it.
Cos there was four of us.
And what we'd Ready? OK.
Can I just take the? How many pages is it? One, two, three, four.
Yeah, I've all got all copies.
I'll see you upstairs.
HE CHUCKLES Oh, you silly, silly boy.
He's now saying that he gave the phone to his brother-in-law at the beginning of May, which means he's dropping him right in it.
I think he's talking out of his arse.
Now, that phone was cell-siting at his house at 10.
40 and that's his clean phone and his dirty phone.
The night before that offence that phone is at his house.
See, he rings Sajed, 10:40.
Cell site there.
10:40 Pillay phones.
He calls Pillay, doesn't connect.
If you look, the cell site at that time That green means that cell's identified at his home.
So, if this phone has been handed over, it's been handed over right at the end of the night or in the morning.
That's not what he's saying, is it? No.
That's what I mean.
The cell site does not fit what he is saying.
That phone has either been handed over on the night before Yeah.
.
.
or he's telling a complete load of cockle, and he's trying to drop the main defendant in it cos, well, he can.
He's got nothing to lose, has he? Yeah.
Well, let's let him go dig himself a big old hole.
Cos this will be the thing that kills him.
He's now actually given us something to work on, to challenge him on, and we can kill him on the fact that Or, "The person that you've given that phone to "when all these calls are coming in.
So you know.
" This is the big interview, isn't it? Gaz, do you want to rip apart the prepared statement? And I'll do the phone stuff? "At some point around May 2013, "I cannot remember specifics due to the passage of time, "my brother-in-law asked if I had a spare phone that he could borrow.
"As he is family, I thought nothing of it, and gave it to him.
"Therefore I'm not responsible for the usage of the phone 818 "in May 2014 and neither do I have any knowledge or how or why "it was used.
" The first thing for you, my colleague explained to you, that he was referring to for the 818 number.
You were given the model and the exact number but you said nothing.
And when he showed you the box you said nothing.
You waited until .
.
we went further into the interview, til we gave you more information before you've come up with this story.
And it is a story, isn't it? No comment.
You're clearly fitting the evidence around the disclosure.
Cos you're so deep into this you're fighting for your life, aren't you? No comment.
"I have no knowledge of any threats of violence So, your brother-in-law appears to be at war with Atif Ali over some .
.
bit of skirt.
And you're saying you know nothing about that.
No comment.
"I do not know or ever have contacted Bernard Pillay or friends, "and neither do they know me.
" I would suggest part of that is right - "neither do they know me.
" Cos these people were hired.
They weren't friends of yours.
These were hired guns.
You are in a conspiracy.
It doesn't matter that Pillay had come up to do the shooting.
You don't have to be the shooter to be involved in a conspiracy.
- So what was your role? - No comment.
- You need to talk to us.
Mr Malik is giving you advice.
But should you get charged with this, he will not be the one standing in the dock, it will be you.
The whole responsibility of whether you answer the questions is down to you, not Mr Malik.
Because advice is purely advice.
OK? The 19th.
Day before.
Your brother-in-law come round the day before? No comment.
Cos this is the thing that's gonna really do it for you.
On the 19th of May at 10:11 at night, your 585 number gives Sajed a ring.
And your phone is at your house, your legitimate phone is sitting in your house.
Two seconds later the 818 number makes a phone call to Bernard Pillay.
With cell sites coming from your house.
Bernard Pillay.
The bloke that we think pulled the trigger.
Start explaining.
I'm going to point out something - your body tends to give away things.
As soon as we've started to put you under pressure You're not happy about this.
You're making the contacts, you're well and truly into this conspiracy.
We don't have to disclose everything at the start of an interview.
We give you your opportunity to talk, that's what we said - "Tell us the truth.
" Problem is, you didn't.
And as we've gone on, you've called for a break and gone, "How do I get myself out of this hole?" Bottom line is you can't, can you? Your only opportunity really, now is to probably just go, "Yeah, hang on a minute, time to tell the truth.
"We knew about this.
Shahzad did X-Y-Z.
"I knew it was gonna happen.
" Only way you might cut your sentence down.
I understand about family loyalty.
But if you're prepared to do that kind of time for him you're a good guy.
That's gonna be no wife, no kids for a while.
Risk all that? Over a bit of Romeo and Juliet? No comment.
OK.
In that case, the time is 20:32.
And we're now concluding this interview.
MACHINE BEEPS Who used to say "it's good to talk"? HE LAUGHS BT, wasn't it? Yeah.
It's good to talk.
He's not a happy boy.
Brief told him to go, no comment, and not give an explanation.
The problem is, when he's been given prepared statements, the prepared statements contradicted each other, so it looks like he's lying.
He stuffed himself.
If Malik had let him talk, he might have got himself out of it at the start, but he's currently going, "No comment.
" If anything, he's dug himself a bigger hole.
I'm going to go upstairs.
I'm ready to come down straightaway and charge him.
OK? It'll be the first thing I do.
Cheers, bud.
Police are waiting to hear from the Crown Prosecution Service.
Not bad, thank you.
No further development whatsoever.
Why get so wound up about one woman? Went back in, no comment on everything.
Everything as per prepared statement which is basically fit around the dates and information that we've given him.
What's this girl like then? Is she a bit of a looker? Why would you want to do 15 years in prison? I don't know, I don't think he's got a leg to stand on.
Cool, thank you very much.
Cheers, have a good night, thank you, bye-bye.
Charge Yes! And remand.
This is what the officer is going to say.
He's going to read out the charge.
OK? There is only one charge and it's on or about 20th May 2013 at Luton in the County of Bedfordshire, conspired together with Mahroof, Sajed Hussain, Bernard Pillay, Matthew McCafferty to murder Atif Ali, contrary to section 11 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Do you have anything to reply to quick charge? No.
He's a family man, he works in Luton, he's got family ties, he's got family and kids, wife, etc.
He's got no reason to abscond and yes, we've seen the evidence as has been suggested in the interview, but he's given a very detailed response to that.
From the outset, he said he was innocent.
No comment? Obviously, I take on board your representations but I've got to weigh up, as well, the safety of the public, as well, with the overall nature of the allegation, so I think he's going to stay here, I'm afraid.
All right? I just came back from holiday today and got this sprung on me at eight o'clock this morning.
Where did you go? It was great.
Me and the wife, we've been together 20 years.
Top man.
Not married, but we've been together for 20 years, married 18, so we went away as an anniversary because our best friends have been married 20 years this year, so it was all, went away as two couples and had a great time.
Top.
OK, see you later.
Take care.
When you have worked for a long time on something .
.
there is a really nice feeling that, you know, we've done what we're supposed to do.
As long as he gets convicted.
Squeeze the cock of justice.
It's the cock of justice.
He gets a squeeze when we get You want to go outside, yeah? Mahboob Baig was remanded in prison for four and a half months.
In July 2014, he went on trial alongside five other defendants for conspiracy to murder.
The trial was an absolute roller coaster.
Nobody knew where it was going to end up.
There was so much going on with co-defendants Baig, when he was giving evidence, he stood up, he spoke very clearly, He looked like a man that believed he'd been wronged.
and was outraged and said, "Do you seriously think that "with the knowledge of something like this, "would even allow it to happen, let alone be part of it? "In my own community, on my own road where my own children "will be travelling with my wife at that time.
" The question that is asked at court is, "Why did you no comment?" From my perspective, when we did the police interview, I saw ambush after ambush.
We safeguarded him.
Mr Baig was on the back foot because he's being asked to account for his movements and conduct many months ago, which he most likely cannot recall.
There was this hot potato 818 phone that was used to contact all the key conspirators in the lead up to the offence.
The jury then have to be 100% sure that Mr Baig is the one responsible for all of those phone calls and being that key person involved in the conspiracy.
Self sight evidence is one of those more difficult pieces of evidence to use in court.
You could easily argue, potentially, was that phone with something else parked outside the front of your house making that phone call? You lent that phone to another, say, and you didn't know what was going on with that phone.
The reason why Mr Baig gave away the phones was because his brother-in-law asked him for it.
He didn't know what the phone was going to be used for.
His brother-in-law asked for the phone, it was a phone he wasn't using, he didn't think twice of it and gave it to him.
The police said that the second statement contradicted the first.
The first statement said, "I know nothing about that phone.
" The second statement was, "Oh, yes, that phone, "I gave it to my brother-in-law.
" Let's face it, the number of times I have clients, I say, "What's your number?" Nobody knows their number.
They have to go into their phones and find their own number.
In his second statement, he made it very clear, "Now that I've seen the box, it's triggered my memory.
" He's given an explanation.
There was a flurry of calls the night before the shooting.
The police said, "There you go, this shows that what you're doing here "is planning something because you keep calling each other regularly.
" However, there is actually an alternative justifiable reason for the contact.
They were discussing a purchase of protein shakes because Mr Mahroof owned a protein shop and Mr Hussain wanted to buy protein, and because Mr Baig was related to him, he was able to get a discount price and make a profit.
It wasn't just a social arrangement, it was a commercial arrangement, and that is why there was such traffic between them for the purpose of that commercial transaction.
When the verdict came, my heart was absolutely pounding.
I found out by text, from Chris.
He was in court, I was at home in the back garden and he started texting and telling me each verdict as it was coming through.
I was sitting at the front.
It was almost like sitting down for a really important exam.
You're about to get a big result, your life has been involved in investigating this job.
Your family have been putting up with you coming home late on a lot of nights, you've been under a lot of pressure, you want to get the right result for the victim.
Monday, 18th August 2014, the following verdicts were found.
Mahroof, conspiracy to murder, guilty, sentenced to 30 years in prison serving a minimum of 15 years.
Bernard Pillay, conspiracy to murder, guilty, sentenced to 34 years in prison serving a minimum of 17 years.
Matthew McCafferty, conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, guilty.
Sentenced to 15 years in prison and must serve two thirds of his sentence with an extended five-year licence.
Mahboob Baig, conspiracy to murder, not guilty.
When I was found not guilty, I just was kind of frozen, I don't know how to explain that feeling.
It didn't feel like I am guilty or not guilty, that moment, I can't explain.
When I looked around at my legal team, I got a thumbs up.
It still didn't sink in.
I walked out of the dock and that is where normally the process of the officer handcuffs you and takes you down the stairs back to your cell.
"Well, I don't need these handcuffs is the moment I actually thought, hang on a minute, I am free.
Walking down the stairs from the court, that's when the moment, it kind of came home to me.
Hang on a minute, I'm actually a free man now.
My young one, she was over the moon to see me and when she hugged me, she clinged on to me so tight.
Being imprisoned for four and a half months, you've gone to hell but you're actually still alive.
It's a huge amount of effect on my life.
I've never been involved in such an incident, I had no reason to be involved in such an incident and I am an innocent man.
You build a case for, you build a case against.
It's the best argument in the playground.
Whoever's got the strongest argument in the playground, is the one that is believed.
I suppose the best way of saying it, is I won the battle but I didn't win the war.
- 'Alpha India 11, go ahead.
' Just thought I'd make you aware that the convoy is now making its way to your end, 309.
RADIO BEEPS 'All copy, thank you.
' What we've got is, this morning, suspect number six, Mahboob Baig, born 1982.
Just a gentle knocking, see if there's a reply at the door, and if there's no reply, then entry will be forced.
There it is.
See the little porch with the black door? It's got a camera on the front.
Just abandon it! Police.
Come to the door, please.
Hello, Mr Baig, can we come in the house, please? We've got a warrant to search your address.
You scared me, early in the morning.
We do these things early, unfortunately.
If we can go into your lounge.
Is it all right to go in there? Help yourself.
Yeah? I'm arresting you on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
to suggest that you were involved in the shooting of Atif Ali on Leicester Road on or about 20th May.
which you later rely on in court.
Anything you do so may be given in evidence.
Do you understand? Yes.
I'm going to handcuff you, unfortunately.
See if you can get some socks and shoes on for us.
That was good.
He's in.
Is that the guy? Yeah.
(He's massive, isn't he? Big old boy.
) Once a suspect is in custody, the police have 24 hours to investigate and interview.
After that, it's either charge or release.
'You've been arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.
' On suspicion of stalking.
On suspicion of GBH.
Possession and making of indecent images of children.
On suspicion of conspiracy to murder.
Start explaining.
It's the police's job to ask what really happened.
Where were you on 28th March? It was not me! I was not there! That could have been 101 people.
But it's nothing to do with me.
Police! Open the door now! Who's innocent? Who's guilty? Why would Pete say that you'd assaulted him? Because he's deluded.
He's a drunk.
Well, that's nonsense.
Police! Put up your hands! From the streets, to the interrogation rooms.
Where's the knife? Did you have a knife? He made a specific threat that he is going to kill her.
From the suspects, to the head of CID.
ALARM BLARES These are the men and women who have just 24 hours to find the evidence.
I'm not letting him get away with it.
I want him nicked and charged.
If he kicks off, I'm out of the door.
I'm a lover, not a fighter.
Will they discover it before time runs out? Good news.
Yeah.
Got him.
CLOCK TICKS I'm just going to do a quick search and a quick pat down.
Thank you.
To speed up the process, have you got any mobile phones in the house? I've got my personal one.
Where's that? We need to seize that as well.
OK.
Where's that at the minute? I'll give it to you, it's fine.
Yeah? OK, cool.
Can I just brush my teeth? The suspect, Mahboob Baig, is believed to be a key player in the conspiracy to murder.
It's all just my phone, yeah? It's all just your phone, yeah (!) Daddy, what you doing? The investigation has taken nearly a year.
The next 24 hours will determine Have you still got the keys? KEYS JANGLE OK, good morning.
Time of arrest, please.
6:35.
And what is the offence? Conspiracy to murder.
Circumstances, please.
Briefly, I've got information received to suggest that he's involved in a conspiracy to murder of Atif Ali on and before 20th May, 2013.
OK, do you understand why you've been arrested? No.
Did you understand what the officer has just explained? Yeah.
But I still don't understand.
I know.
But it's been explained? Yeah.
OK, so I'm going to authorise your detention so that you can be interviewed regarding this information the police have received and that gives you the opportunity to give an explanation.
OK, yeah.
Can you switch this on for us? Ah, is that his? So you're seizing it? We seized it at the house but he won't give us the PIN.
'Before I was a policeman, I was a holiday rep.
It was young fun.
'I worked in Magaluf for a couple of summers and I met my wife.
'But it just got to the point 'I needed a proper job.
' And I saw an advert in the local paper about can you deal with drunks, can you deal with domestics, can you deal with fights? And, as a holiday rep, I'd already dealt with all those sorts of things.
I like it.
I've been away for five minutes, come back, and find that you've nicked my cup.
I have? Yes! Get a cup of coffee in you cos I need you alert for the interviews, all right? I'll let you get yourself settled for five minutes after your holiday to Vegas.
Where have you been? Vegas.
How much money did you lose? We took $1.
600 spending money.
Right.
And after the first three days - gambling, food, drinks, the whole lot - we were about $150 down.
That was it.
Really? Yeah, one day, we won $1.
000 between the four of us, just on slot machines.
Just stand against the ruler please, so I can see how tall you are.
Yeah.
6'4 ".
Thank you.
I used to be 6'5".
What happens is, your spine takes the strain from lifting overhead, and from all that Mr Baig.
Yes? Any history of self-harming? No.
And how do you feel now? Fine.
Just a bit upset.
OK.
Would you like to have a solicitor? Yeah.
Attiq Malik.
And would you like to read a book called The Codes of Practice which explains all our police powers and procedures? I don't like reading, but, yeah.
Last question.
If anybody rings in to ask about you being arrested here, do you give us permission to tell them? Erm It's either yes or no, I can't do, "Yes, only if it's my mum.
" No, then.
Says here you're slim.
I am slim.
Will it go any lower, actually? If not, slouch a little bit.
Your head's poking up a little bit.
You might have to, sort of There you go.
I'll just take your DNA.
I think I'll be able to reach your mouth.
This is a copy of the warrant.
It's a Section 8 warrant.
That will be your copy.
You get to keep a copy of that.
Hopefully, we're not going to be to do the search.
Police are searching for any evidence that links Baig to the crime.
RADIO: 'Obviously, looking for firearms, mobile phones, 'SIM cards' The mobile phone that was used to coordinate the shooting has never been found.
OK, dog's going to go through first, with a start time of 7:25.
HE YAWNS LOUDLY I can't get up on the best of days.
Do you want anything to eat? Yes, please.
We've got an all-day breakfast with cereals.
So it's Corn Flakes or Crunchy Nut.
Crunchy Nut, please.
So, you want Crunchy Nut? Thank you.
OK? See you in a little bit.
See you.
If we don't find what we need, we may need to go into his workplace as well.
We'll be just looking for the mobile phone.
It is the main phone we're looking for that he communicated as part of the offence.
'Haven't got the phone yet.
'However, we do have the box for the phone with the IMEI on the side.
' That's a brilliant result in itself, mate.
Thank you for that.
'We're not even halfway through the search yet.
But I thought I'd keep you in the loop.
' Gary, Martin.
Go down to my little office, and I'll talk you through all this.
Nice holiday? Yes.
Was it wedding vows or something you had? No, we just went out there.
we went there and it was cracking.
What we've got.
Mahboob Baig in custody today.
Mahboob Baig is the brother-in-law of Shazhad Mahroof, the main suspect in the conspiracy.
Interesting development just come in.
They've found the 818 phone box in the house.
Haven't found the phone yet, the search is ongoing, but they've found the box with the IMEI on it.
And this 818 phone is very important and the reasons for that are that on the morning of the offence, this phone contacts most of the key parties involved.
He's asked for Mr Malik.
The client would like to speak to him.
Conspiracy to murder.
Just going to do consultation in room C, if you're happy, sergeant.
Mr Baig.
Yeah.
Whose representative is Mr Malik.
'Fighting for people with rights.
That is something that I do like.
Ensuring that people get justice, people have the right representation, and fighting their corner because when someone's in the police station, it's very easy to become very intimidated.
Being that person's sword and shield, that in itself is very, very gratifying.
My first day back.
I've just come back from Vegas.
Have you? Yeah.
So my time clock body clock's all over the place! 'I really enjoy doing interviewing.
' There's always two sides, at least, to anyone's story.
So, let's see what they've got to say.
Chris Hutton.
Yeah, Detective Sgt Hutton.
Oh.
We are with the big boys then, aren't we? Fraid so.
Looking at what we've got at the minute, we've got the phone box, and it's the number that calls all the key offenders.
Are we geared up for the interview? Had some delay getting the solicitor here, lost a couple of hours there.
Police aren't yet prepared to reveal their discovery of the mobile phone box to Baig's lawyer.
Well, none of this This is in the public domain anyway, what's the actual disclosure for Are you going to ask him what you'd expect, but of course my question is why? What's the evidence? At the moment So at the moment there's no further disclosure? Not at this moment in time.
'If you get a murder, ' it's normally drugs, money, or women.
You're huge! HE LAUGHS I'm glad you're friendly.
- Offence? - Criminal damage, domestic.
Basically, this gentleman's PS4 has broken today.
And he's proceeded to smash the door At home? Yeah.
Have I got time for a cigarette, please? It's no smoking.
- It's a public building.
Do you have any medical conditions? - Bad chest.
Bad chest, what do you mean? Water goes on it inside, I don't know what you call it.
Emphysema? I don't know what it's called.
So, lungs or chest? It goes It's in here, like HE COUGHS I've had a bad week all week.
I know, I'VE had a bad week all week.
Yeah.
We all have.
I'm not well.
I know or me.
Why aren't you well? I'm not well.
What aren't you well? Tell me what's wrong with you.
I'm just not well.
Can I go and smoke in the yard or something? Listen to me.
I am handing over at three o'clock.
OK? Because I, I need to get out of here before I punch somebody.
So, last month I got a CT scan done, yeah? There seems to be a muscle tear there.
One of the major tendons from the chest to the shoulder, it's come off.
No way! They can't do anything cos it's been over a year.
It's cos of the functional training, innit? But it's really bad, man.
You don't know, you could be fine one minute and then, that's that.
How long have you been working out? A long time.
I used to play rugby, but it destroyed me in the end.
Did it? What, the back and that? Strangely enough, I was a full-back.
I used to be 13.
5 stone and a racing snake.
I could do 100 metres in under 12 seconds.
But, yeah, I've had five knee operations.
One cruciate snapped.
And the other one's got a 20% cut in it and they won't replace it.
It's a top game, rugby, though.
I've fractured cheekbone, fractured skull.
Broken arm.
'Being a holiday rep beforehand, my whole job' was to talk to people.
Uh Have fun, and have a laugh.
Sometimes it wasn't always fun and sometimes it wasn't always a laugh, but you learn an awful lot OK, when I hit this button, it starts recording.
MACHINE BEEPS - It's working, marvellous.
- OK, this interview is being recorded I'm DC 140 Martin Hart, currently working the Serious Crime based at Luton Police Station.
The other officer present is Investigation officer 3889, Gary Hales.
And the time that I've got is 11.
36.
OK.
What I'm going to do now is read out the disclosure that we gave to your solicitor.
The bottom line is, your client was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder Atif Ali in Luton on Monday 20th May 2013.
The circumstances are that at approximately 8 o'clock on that day, the victim left his home address on his way to work.
from Weatherby Road, his vehicle was hit from behind by another car.
Ali pulled up outside the Leicester Arms, got out of his vehicle to inspect the damage.
As he was standing up he was shot once to the leg, causing massive injuries.
It is believed that Ali was shot following a history of issues Up to today, a total of seven other people have been arrested in connection with this enquiry.
The persons charged are Mahroof, Sajed Hussain, Bernard Pillay, and Matthew McCafferty.
In this interview, your client will be asked to account for any knowledge he has about this, the people mentioned above and the circumstances around this offence.
Could you just confirm that that is What I can confirm is that this disclosure was given to me.
Yup.
And that this part of it is setting out the circumstances of the offence in question.
It did not set out what the evidence against my client was.
And upon noting that, I did ask you is that correct? That's correct.
'It's at their discretion, whether they give you information As a solicitor, I need to be able to advise my client on the strengths and weakness of the case against them.
It's only by knowing that that I can say to him, you know, OK, 'there is a case that you have to be worried about or there isn't.
'You should answer questions or you shouldn't.
' There's an old saying which a lot of criminal lawyers follow.
"If in doubt, say nowt.
" My next question is literally, what can you tell me about the offence? And the answer to that is You've got a prepared statement, OK.
I, Mahboob Baig, will say as follows, instructed by me and written by my legal representative.
My only knowledge of this offence is what is already in the public domain.
I have no other knowledge, information or involvement in it, I am not involved in any conspiracy to murder and I'm shocked to find myself here today.
I am not a career criminal, I am a working professional and family man.
I do know Mahroof and Sajed Hussain.
Mahroof is a family member and Sajed Hussain is simply known to me in the community.
I do not know Bernard Pillay or Matthew McCafferty.
In light of the limited disclosure that was given, I have no recourse but to advise my client to answer "No comment" to all questions.
Yes.
In law, you've got a right to silence, you do not have to answer any question I put to you.
There is a "but".
But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court.
That's to say yes, you do have a right to silence.
If you end up going to court and you then answer the questions that the officers have put to you, they might decide to draw an inference.
So they could say, hang on, you had the chance to talk and didn't.
OK? You got that, any questions about that? No.
Cool.
OK.
So I know you said in your prepared statement, you're a family man.
How many children do you have? No comment.
How old are they? No comment.
OK.
Um What's your wife's name? No comment.
How long have you been married? No comment.
OK.
I did actually forget to ask you something at the start, and that's, how do you want me to refer to you as? Do you want me to call you Mr Baig, Mahboob, Mabs? - Er - Sorry, it's something I forgot, and I should have done it.
- OK.
Just for politeness.
He probably prefers Mr Baig.
OK, no problem.
- Baig, chap in the middle Yeah.
- Senior detectives in CID are still assessing the strength of their case.
The key phone that links him in is this phone ending 818.
Yes.
Dirty phone, unregistered, pay as you go.
How we're linking it to him is via Welcome Finance.
Welcome Finance confirm that he gave that as his number.
We've also got it recorded in Sajed Hussain's phone.
What's he got it in his phone as? He's got it recorded as Mab.
Maybe Baig, Mabs Baig.
Yeah, OK.
Now, we know that he's known as Mabs because he was a member of David Lloyd Leisure for a few weeks, a month, a trial membership in November 2013 and he gave that as his name, Mabs.
You're obviously You keep yourself in far better condition than I do.
Do you have a home gym? No comment.
Or any gyms at all? No comment.
OK.
Um Have you ever been to David Lloyd gym in Luton? No comment.
Have you ever signed in there? No comment.
What name did you use to sign in? No comment.
Did you use Mahboob Baig? No comment.
Did you use Mabs? No comment.
OK.
When you were arrested, and brought in You have an iPhone, I believe.
Do you know your phone number off the top of your head? No comment.
It ends in, is it 585? No comment.
Are there any other phones in your house? No comment.
Does your good lady have a mobile phone? No comment.
Is it a case of, you don't recall? No comment.
Or that you simply don't want to answer? No comment.
OK.
Moving on.
What can you tell me about Mahroof? No comment.
OK.
Sajed Hussain.
You say you know him from the community.
Can you explain a little bit more about that? No comment.
Moving on, do you know a chap by the name of Matthew McCafferty? No comment.
Are you a football fan? No comment.
LAUGHTER People might turn round and say, I'm not a football fan cos I follow West Ham, but that's beside the point.
19th May was the end of the Premier League season.
Last year.
Just gives you a memory jogger.
And then moving onto the 20th, which is obviously the Monday, the following day There was a lot of publicity around what happened that day.
You live in the community.
You must have heard of that shooting on that day.
No comment.
I am obliged as an investigator to look at everything.
If I can prove that you had nothing to do with this, I'm obliged to do that.
7.
58, he was shot.
Had you already gone to work and gone past? No comment.
I might have you on CCTV, if you can remember what car it was.
No comment.
You've answered no comment.
You have taken advice.
OK? And I've got no problem with that.
However, you're over the age of 18.
You're a mature adult.
You're a sensible man.
Mr Malik, he gives you advice, it's your choice whether you follow it or not.
All right? It's not a con, it's the way things are.
OK? Bearing that in mind, is there anything at this moment that you think that I need to go away, look at, to prove that you're innocent? No comment.
All right.
In the case, then, the time that I have got is 12.
23.
And I'm concluding this interview.
MACHINE BEEPS So what's the state of play now, then? You're going to Go away, have a quick chat upstairs and then I would imagine There'll be some more disclosure.
There'll be some more disclosure.
Which is what you've been waiting for all along.
Just done in the first place! Oh, no, no, no, no.
'In poker, when you're playing a game of cards, 'Have they got a good hand? With me, I'm always in overdrive.
'I'm trying to think three or four steps ahead because quite often, 'when very little disclosure is given, ' this is one of two things.
Either they've got nothing and it's a fishing expedition, or they HAVE got something and they're setting us up for an ambush.
So I'll have a quick five minutes with him.
And then get ready for round two.
I've got a lot, I swear to God, yeah? I don't feel happy, are you happy now, are you? If you carry on like that I'm going to terminate the phone call.
Sorry, say that again? There's only one person in charge in here and that's me and Tim.
Get off the phone, man, hurry up.
Who you talking to, muppet? Mind your fucking business.
Mind your Mind YOUR fucking business.
Oi! Cell, cell.
Be a woman, deal with it.
Be a woman, deal with it? There you go, then.
Sounds like somebody's having fun.
WOMAN SHOUTS Get off my arm, now! Get off it.
Calm down.
I don't know if I'm going to settle down, do I look settled to you? Do I? God, she's vile, isn't she? No, I'm not.
Just what? Just calm down? It doesn't work Just calm down?! I tell you, mate What you want to do is work out whether we're going to be nice, nice, nice and then not so nice.
PHONE RINGS Hello? It's defence game tennis, we're fighting it at the minute.
'Oh, really?' Yeah, it's messy as shit.
I could be really late.
Where do you want me to magic one up? I'm a custody sergeant, I'm not a magician.
I know, I understand that.
None of us down here smoke.
I know, but can't you ask them to get a couple of dog ends? No! No, I'm not asking my DO to go and pick up dog ends.
OK, is everyone here? Cos I would like to crack on if you don't mind.
I've got somewhere to go.
It is past three o'clock, if that's all right.
CLEARS THROA All right, calm down! HE CHUCKLES Well, we've had the day from hell.
As normal.
Are we ready? OK - M2, a robbery, he's handed himself in, gained entry with a baseball bat and knife.
F1, F1 came in last night really, really intoxicated.
He threatened the father of his ex partner with a large knife.
Number 13 lives at home with his mum.
He got angry cos his PSP had been broken so he decided to go on a bit of a bender and he's ended up smashing Mum's door.
M11 the IP, who is a landlord who was having an argument with the DP regarding rent arrears, when the DP punched him to the face causing his tooth to fall out.
M1-DP has been named by the IP as being responsible for an assault with a brick that caused injuries requiring stitches to his ear.
Number nine Mr Baig.
Police have received information that the DP is involved in the conspiracy to murder Atif Ali.
He has been interviewed once but they're going back into interview, they're just waiting for Mr Malik to come back to the station.
Mr Baig was not somebody that I'd ever heard of, even through the grapevine of being involved with anything criminal, let alone of this magnitude.
He is a family man with three very young children.
Erm, lots of responsibilities, he has very elderly parents who are in their 80s that he cares for as well, and provides for.
And he is a man who in a way, a lot of people in the community can look up to.
From the word go, he said, "Look, don't know why I'm here, "don't know what I'm doing here, what's going on?" Are these all in prison, the rest of them? Bar one.
Every other one has been remanded.
This old boy is quite central.
He's playing very much the The middleman, organising or something.
Yeah.
Very much so.
'I was, actually, on duty on the 20th of May.
' Just before eight o'clock we got a phone call off of the control room and they said, "Gentleman's been shot in Leicester Road.
" Now, the morning commute to work is a pretty mundane part of everyday life.
Imagine the horror, then, for 27-year-old Atif Ali a law-abiding accountant from Luton who was doing just that, he was going to work, when, out of the blue, someone tried to kill him.
TYRES SCREECH He wasn't killed.
by a close-range sawn-off-shotgun blast.
Mr Ali is a really nice, normal fellow.
There is no nothing linking him to anything, any form of criminality, so, why? You know, how many people go to work and get shot in the morning when they've done nothing wrong? My opinion is that Mr Ali was a paid hit.
He was engaged to a young lady.
Another young gentleman, Shahzad Mahroof, asked the family if he could marry her and they said no.
It spiralled from there.
Mr Baig is the brother-in-law of Mahroof.
The search at this address this morning is now finished.
Er, no cash at the location which was quite interesting.
OK.
And a very, very small amount of cannabis.
Enough for, probably, one joint, I'd have thought.
Yeah, one or two max.
Bugger all, really.
You seem to know a lot about? OFFICER CHUCKLES That's 16 years of dealing with.
Not dealing the drugs (?) It was in a Kinder Egg, which is, obviously, not what We normally find other things in Kinder Eggs.
Yeah.
This was cannabis.
Police are now ready to disclose their new evidence.
They believe a phone number ending 818 links Baig directly to the shooting.
So, the mobile phone usage by him on these two numbers? OK, and that's it? Yeah, yeah, that's it.
OK, let's do this RECORDER BEEPS Two mobile numbers have been attributed to your client 0770 693585.
And 0789 543818.
Your client will be asked about mobile phone usage by him and others in the build-up to the offence being committed.
which covers that question "As this offence took place over a year ago without "further information as to who I'm supposed to have contacted, "when and for how long, I am in difficulty answering questions.
"On advice, I answer 'no comment' to all questions.
" OK.
Erm and the other number, 585? a subscriber's check it comes back to a Mahboob Baig, that is your phone, that you pay for on a regular basis.
Is that correct? No comment.
You're sort of nodding as you're saying it.
No comment.
Also, the 585 number, it's worth being said, you've given to both me and DS Hatton prior to your arrest.
So, is it safe to say, that the number that ends 585 is actually - your phone? - No comment.
How's it hurting you to tell me that saying "no comment" to what is just your phone? No comment.
OK, we've got another number for you that we put in the disclosure.
Erm, it's the one you specifically referred to that you don't Didn't find the phone.
Got any idea what's happened to it? - No comment.
- OK.
What we did find is this It's a mobile phone box.
For a Samsung GT-E2121B.
The same one as the 818 number.
On the side of said box is the IMEI number.
That's the same one that that number's been running off of.
It was found .
.
on the top of a wardrobe in the main bedroom, your bedroom, at your house.
What can you tell me about that box? No comment.
Somebody lend it to you? No comment.
Do you keep other people's phone boxes in your bedroom? No comment.
Sajed Hussain you said in your first interview, he's somebody you know from the community.
No comment.
Now, if you only know him through the community, one would guess that you don't talk to him that often.
Your number that ends in 585, between March of last year and January of this year contacted Sajed Hussain 1.
174 times.
That's more times than I speak to my wife.
This is not just a passing friend, is it Sajed? - He's a close friend of yours.
- No comment.
Now, we already know that in Sajed's phone your legitimate, personal phone comes up under "Mabs Bro".
No comment.
In his phone the number for this phone - 818, comes up as "Mabs 2".
It's got Mabs Bro with the phone number, your thing on it and then he's got Mabs 2.
Can you remember the date I told you, when the shooting happened? It was the 20th of May.
Mabs 2 was added to Sajed Hussain's phone on the 13th of May.
Seven days before Mr Ali got shot.
Bear in mind, you talk to each other a lot.
So, why did you give him a second number on the 13th of May? No comment.
Is this a bit of a naughty phone? No comment.
19th of May evening before the shooting.
About a quarter past seven, Sajed's trying to call you on the 585, your iPhone number.
At about nine o'clock you text Sajed saying, "Ring me, bro.
" You text him again, about two minutes later "Call me, please.
" 'Are those calls part of the set-up for the 'what was gonna happen the next day?' No comment.
You then text him half ten.
'Is something going wrong with the plans for the shooting?' - Was it an innocent explanation? - No comment.
You got an 11-second call at 22:33, another one at 22:34.
23:05, 23:26.
And Mahroof calls you at 11 minutes to midnight on the 19th.
So, your brother-in-law is giving you a call at 11 minutes to midnight and you have a conversation for 23 seconds.
Phone's gone down-straightaway you have called Sajed Hussain.
Now, after finishing that call, you phoned Mahroof back again.
'You're the sandwich in between these two.
No comment.
585 right little hotbed of a number.
818, not used very much at all.
818 starts to come to life on the morning of the 20th.
Now, this is the one that really intrigues me.
Can you explain to me why 818 at 6:41 in the morning, The guy from Uxbridge.
Who we know, at that time, has left Uxbridge and is on the motorway on his way down to Luton.
'This is a man who's got no connection, no family in Luton.
'The one thing he has got is previous convictions for firearms' offences.
' He's also got convictions for serious GBH.
Done 11 years for that.
Out and out hardened criminal.
He's got no connection to Luton.
Apart from on the 20th of May To shoot Atif Ali.
At the moment you're contacting him.
6:43 - Sajed Hussain rings 818.
So, is this a gym date that we're sorting out? No comment.
'What sort of job's he got? Is he a milkman or a postman 'or somebody that would normally be up at that time?' No comment.
'Is there an innocent explanation for these calls?' Or are those calls cos of the fact that, at this point, you know that the boys are on their way down from Uxbridge - and the plan's all coming nicely together? - No comment.
But one of the common denominators in all of this is you.
You've got a dirty phone - 818.
You've used it once on the 28th of the 12th, 2012.
A loan was taken out in your name to Welcome Finance.
The contact number that you gave them was 818.
And then after that it only comes up and only lasts for this shooting and then it goes dead.
Give me a justful reason, how could this be a coincidence? No comment.
Was he supposed to die that day? No comment.
Cos he's pissed off your brother-in-law, does that make him an enemy of yours? No comment.
Would you be stupid enough to get involved in someone else's battle? No comment.
He was a very, very lucky boy.
Bullet nicked his femoral.
How he didn't die? Never know.
He must have had everything looking down on him - and praying for him that day.
- Would you like a consultation with me? Would you like a consultation? Yeah.
Yes, please.
Can I have a consultation, please? Pause the interview.
Will it be a quick one or do you want us to stop it and we can have a break.
Yeah, a break.
We've gone on for quite a while, now.
Yeah.
Let's have a quick break.
It's hot in here, get some waters in.
It does, yeah, get everyone a drink.
The time is 16:41 and I'm gonna stop the interview RECORDER BEEPS He's given a very short prepared statement.
He made no comment about the 585 number, so really kicked in on that.
Hit, hit, hit erm, then we went on to 818.
Brought the box out.
Brought everything else out with regards to the finance company and all that sort of stuff.
He's then started twitching.
He's got a left-leg twitch at the moment erm and he's not a happy boy.
This is gonna be some prepared statement.
He's twitching like a madman now.
Yeah, there's some major flak going on in there.
He's panicking now.
Big lad, isn't he? - Wait till he stands up.
- Just keep him calm Yeah! If he kicks off I'm out of the door.
I'm a lover not a fighter.
LAUGHTER The biggest surprise would be if he came out now and he cuffed it.
It could be an interesting ten-minute interview.
I wonder if his knee can jerk around any faster? Did you start at stupid o'clock? Well, seven o'clock I started.
OK.
Police are waiting to reinterview the suspect.
But Baig has been talking to his solicitor for nearly an hour and a half.
Haven't seen hide nor hair.
He's shitting a brick now.
That's cheese sauce.
That was the burger with salad.
That's the 20-ounce stake.
This was the Cheesecake Factory.
That's the starter.
It's massive.
Siegfried and Roy.
You know, those magicians.
That was the view from our bedroom window.
That's the Monte Carlo.
MGM Grand is over there.
The rule was we did $20.
Nikki doubled it.
Cos there was four of us.
And what we'd Ready? OK.
Can I just take the? How many pages is it? One, two, three, four.
Yeah, I've all got all copies.
I'll see you upstairs.
HE CHUCKLES Oh, you silly, silly boy.
He's now saying that he gave the phone to his brother-in-law at the beginning of May, which means he's dropping him right in it.
I think he's talking out of his arse.
Now, that phone was cell-siting at his house at 10.
40 and that's his clean phone and his dirty phone.
The night before that offence that phone is at his house.
See, he rings Sajed, 10:40.
Cell site there.
10:40 Pillay phones.
He calls Pillay, doesn't connect.
If you look, the cell site at that time That green means that cell's identified at his home.
So, if this phone has been handed over, it's been handed over right at the end of the night or in the morning.
That's not what he's saying, is it? No.
That's what I mean.
The cell site does not fit what he is saying.
That phone has either been handed over on the night before Yeah.
.
.
or he's telling a complete load of cockle, and he's trying to drop the main defendant in it cos, well, he can.
He's got nothing to lose, has he? Yeah.
Well, let's let him go dig himself a big old hole.
Cos this will be the thing that kills him.
He's now actually given us something to work on, to challenge him on, and we can kill him on the fact that Or, "The person that you've given that phone to "when all these calls are coming in.
So you know.
" This is the big interview, isn't it? Gaz, do you want to rip apart the prepared statement? And I'll do the phone stuff? "At some point around May 2013, "I cannot remember specifics due to the passage of time, "my brother-in-law asked if I had a spare phone that he could borrow.
"As he is family, I thought nothing of it, and gave it to him.
"Therefore I'm not responsible for the usage of the phone 818 "in May 2014 and neither do I have any knowledge or how or why "it was used.
" The first thing for you, my colleague explained to you, that he was referring to for the 818 number.
You were given the model and the exact number but you said nothing.
And when he showed you the box you said nothing.
You waited until .
.
we went further into the interview, til we gave you more information before you've come up with this story.
And it is a story, isn't it? No comment.
You're clearly fitting the evidence around the disclosure.
Cos you're so deep into this you're fighting for your life, aren't you? No comment.
"I have no knowledge of any threats of violence So, your brother-in-law appears to be at war with Atif Ali over some .
.
bit of skirt.
And you're saying you know nothing about that.
No comment.
"I do not know or ever have contacted Bernard Pillay or friends, "and neither do they know me.
" I would suggest part of that is right - "neither do they know me.
" Cos these people were hired.
They weren't friends of yours.
These were hired guns.
You are in a conspiracy.
It doesn't matter that Pillay had come up to do the shooting.
You don't have to be the shooter to be involved in a conspiracy.
- So what was your role? - No comment.
- You need to talk to us.
Mr Malik is giving you advice.
But should you get charged with this, he will not be the one standing in the dock, it will be you.
The whole responsibility of whether you answer the questions is down to you, not Mr Malik.
Because advice is purely advice.
OK? The 19th.
Day before.
Your brother-in-law come round the day before? No comment.
Cos this is the thing that's gonna really do it for you.
On the 19th of May at 10:11 at night, your 585 number gives Sajed a ring.
And your phone is at your house, your legitimate phone is sitting in your house.
Two seconds later the 818 number makes a phone call to Bernard Pillay.
With cell sites coming from your house.
Bernard Pillay.
The bloke that we think pulled the trigger.
Start explaining.
I'm going to point out something - your body tends to give away things.
As soon as we've started to put you under pressure You're not happy about this.
You're making the contacts, you're well and truly into this conspiracy.
We don't have to disclose everything at the start of an interview.
We give you your opportunity to talk, that's what we said - "Tell us the truth.
" Problem is, you didn't.
And as we've gone on, you've called for a break and gone, "How do I get myself out of this hole?" Bottom line is you can't, can you? Your only opportunity really, now is to probably just go, "Yeah, hang on a minute, time to tell the truth.
"We knew about this.
Shahzad did X-Y-Z.
"I knew it was gonna happen.
" Only way you might cut your sentence down.
I understand about family loyalty.
But if you're prepared to do that kind of time for him you're a good guy.
That's gonna be no wife, no kids for a while.
Risk all that? Over a bit of Romeo and Juliet? No comment.
OK.
In that case, the time is 20:32.
And we're now concluding this interview.
MACHINE BEEPS Who used to say "it's good to talk"? HE LAUGHS BT, wasn't it? Yeah.
It's good to talk.
He's not a happy boy.
Brief told him to go, no comment, and not give an explanation.
The problem is, when he's been given prepared statements, the prepared statements contradicted each other, so it looks like he's lying.
He stuffed himself.
If Malik had let him talk, he might have got himself out of it at the start, but he's currently going, "No comment.
" If anything, he's dug himself a bigger hole.
I'm going to go upstairs.
I'm ready to come down straightaway and charge him.
OK? It'll be the first thing I do.
Cheers, bud.
Police are waiting to hear from the Crown Prosecution Service.
Not bad, thank you.
No further development whatsoever.
Why get so wound up about one woman? Went back in, no comment on everything.
Everything as per prepared statement which is basically fit around the dates and information that we've given him.
What's this girl like then? Is she a bit of a looker? Why would you want to do 15 years in prison? I don't know, I don't think he's got a leg to stand on.
Cool, thank you very much.
Cheers, have a good night, thank you, bye-bye.
Charge Yes! And remand.
This is what the officer is going to say.
He's going to read out the charge.
OK? There is only one charge and it's on or about 20th May 2013 at Luton in the County of Bedfordshire, conspired together with Mahroof, Sajed Hussain, Bernard Pillay, Matthew McCafferty to murder Atif Ali, contrary to section 11 of the Criminal Law Act 1977.
Do you have anything to reply to quick charge? No.
He's a family man, he works in Luton, he's got family ties, he's got family and kids, wife, etc.
He's got no reason to abscond and yes, we've seen the evidence as has been suggested in the interview, but he's given a very detailed response to that.
From the outset, he said he was innocent.
No comment? Obviously, I take on board your representations but I've got to weigh up, as well, the safety of the public, as well, with the overall nature of the allegation, so I think he's going to stay here, I'm afraid.
All right? I just came back from holiday today and got this sprung on me at eight o'clock this morning.
Where did you go? It was great.
Me and the wife, we've been together 20 years.
Top man.
Not married, but we've been together for 20 years, married 18, so we went away as an anniversary because our best friends have been married 20 years this year, so it was all, went away as two couples and had a great time.
Top.
OK, see you later.
Take care.
When you have worked for a long time on something .
.
there is a really nice feeling that, you know, we've done what we're supposed to do.
As long as he gets convicted.
Squeeze the cock of justice.
It's the cock of justice.
He gets a squeeze when we get You want to go outside, yeah? Mahboob Baig was remanded in prison for four and a half months.
In July 2014, he went on trial alongside five other defendants for conspiracy to murder.
The trial was an absolute roller coaster.
Nobody knew where it was going to end up.
There was so much going on with co-defendants Baig, when he was giving evidence, he stood up, he spoke very clearly, He looked like a man that believed he'd been wronged.
and was outraged and said, "Do you seriously think that "with the knowledge of something like this, "would even allow it to happen, let alone be part of it? "In my own community, on my own road where my own children "will be travelling with my wife at that time.
" The question that is asked at court is, "Why did you no comment?" From my perspective, when we did the police interview, I saw ambush after ambush.
We safeguarded him.
Mr Baig was on the back foot because he's being asked to account for his movements and conduct many months ago, which he most likely cannot recall.
There was this hot potato 818 phone that was used to contact all the key conspirators in the lead up to the offence.
The jury then have to be 100% sure that Mr Baig is the one responsible for all of those phone calls and being that key person involved in the conspiracy.
Self sight evidence is one of those more difficult pieces of evidence to use in court.
You could easily argue, potentially, was that phone with something else parked outside the front of your house making that phone call? You lent that phone to another, say, and you didn't know what was going on with that phone.
The reason why Mr Baig gave away the phones was because his brother-in-law asked him for it.
He didn't know what the phone was going to be used for.
His brother-in-law asked for the phone, it was a phone he wasn't using, he didn't think twice of it and gave it to him.
The police said that the second statement contradicted the first.
The first statement said, "I know nothing about that phone.
" The second statement was, "Oh, yes, that phone, "I gave it to my brother-in-law.
" Let's face it, the number of times I have clients, I say, "What's your number?" Nobody knows their number.
They have to go into their phones and find their own number.
In his second statement, he made it very clear, "Now that I've seen the box, it's triggered my memory.
" He's given an explanation.
There was a flurry of calls the night before the shooting.
The police said, "There you go, this shows that what you're doing here "is planning something because you keep calling each other regularly.
" However, there is actually an alternative justifiable reason for the contact.
They were discussing a purchase of protein shakes because Mr Mahroof owned a protein shop and Mr Hussain wanted to buy protein, and because Mr Baig was related to him, he was able to get a discount price and make a profit.
It wasn't just a social arrangement, it was a commercial arrangement, and that is why there was such traffic between them for the purpose of that commercial transaction.
When the verdict came, my heart was absolutely pounding.
I found out by text, from Chris.
He was in court, I was at home in the back garden and he started texting and telling me each verdict as it was coming through.
I was sitting at the front.
It was almost like sitting down for a really important exam.
You're about to get a big result, your life has been involved in investigating this job.
Your family have been putting up with you coming home late on a lot of nights, you've been under a lot of pressure, you want to get the right result for the victim.
Monday, 18th August 2014, the following verdicts were found.
Mahroof, conspiracy to murder, guilty, sentenced to 30 years in prison serving a minimum of 15 years.
Bernard Pillay, conspiracy to murder, guilty, sentenced to 34 years in prison serving a minimum of 17 years.
Matthew McCafferty, conspiracy to murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, guilty.
Sentenced to 15 years in prison and must serve two thirds of his sentence with an extended five-year licence.
Mahboob Baig, conspiracy to murder, not guilty.
When I was found not guilty, I just was kind of frozen, I don't know how to explain that feeling.
It didn't feel like I am guilty or not guilty, that moment, I can't explain.
When I looked around at my legal team, I got a thumbs up.
It still didn't sink in.
I walked out of the dock and that is where normally the process of the officer handcuffs you and takes you down the stairs back to your cell.
"Well, I don't need these handcuffs is the moment I actually thought, hang on a minute, I am free.
Walking down the stairs from the court, that's when the moment, it kind of came home to me.
Hang on a minute, I'm actually a free man now.
My young one, she was over the moon to see me and when she hugged me, she clinged on to me so tight.
Being imprisoned for four and a half months, you've gone to hell but you're actually still alive.
It's a huge amount of effect on my life.
I've never been involved in such an incident, I had no reason to be involved in such an incident and I am an innocent man.
You build a case for, you build a case against.
It's the best argument in the playground.
Whoever's got the strongest argument in the playground, is the one that is believed.
I suppose the best way of saying it, is I won the battle but I didn't win the war.