Terrified man dragged into car in Wakefield and beaten over drug debt

A drug-debt feud led to a terrified man being bundled into a car and assaulted before being chased down in Wakefield.
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The victim had to take evasive action and dive out of the way after the pursuing Audi crossed a central reservation to get to him, Leeds Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Michael Collins said that in 2019 that the victim's cousin had been working as a drug dealer for Babar Mukhtiar.

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On July 19 of that year, the street dealer was given £300 worth of heroin and crack by Mukhtiar to sell, but the dealer used £80 worth, Mr Collins said.

The defendants said it was all down to stolen drills, but the Crown insist it was drug related.The defendants said it was all down to stolen drills, but the Crown insist it was drug related.
The defendants said it was all down to stolen drills, but the Crown insist it was drug related.

The dealer then got a call from Mukhtiar the next day saying he wanted to collect the money and the remaining unsold drugs.

The panicking dealer then spoke with his cousin who agreed to meet Mukhtiar, whom he already knew.

When Mukhtiar turned up to Denby Dale Road in an Audi, the man was dragged into the back seat by passenger Richard Ian Snaith and another unnamed assailant.

Fighting to escape the man was punched.

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He eventually got out of the car and ran but was chased down by the Audi, driven by Mukhtiar.

Jumping out of the way, he landed on his next door neighbour's doorstep so went into her house, asked her to call the police and ran through to the back, jumped over the fence and into his own garden.

While his terrified neighbour was on the phone to the police, the men from the Audi began kicking at her door.

Both Mukhtiar, 31, and Snaith, 40, were later arrested and denied any responsibility.

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They were facing a trial with Mukhtiar initially charged with taking a person against his will, intimidating a person, making threats and dangerous driving.

Snaith was charged with taking a person against his will.

However, they both pleaded guilty to affray, with Mukhtiar allso pleading guilty to the dangerous driving charge, which was accepted by the Crown.

The remaining charges are to be left on file.

Mitigating for Mukhtiar, Ian Hudson said that his client had since got a job as a ground worker with his wife's father.

He said that the debt owed was over drills and cash that he had stolen, rather than drugs, but this was rejected by the the Crown.

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A probation report into Snaith believed it was down to the stolen drills.

The judge, Recorder Anesh Pema described the attack as an "extremely frightening incident".

He handed Mukhtiar, of of Castle Meadows, Hall Green, 51 weeks jail, and a driving ban for two years and 25 weeks.

Snaith, of Woodmoor Drive, Crigglestone, was given 42 weeks, suspended for 18 months, and 200 hours of unpaid work.