In Nelson, a man was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Michael Brierley.
Following a trial last month, Naeem Mustafa (pictured) was found guilty of murdering Mr Brierley and his 67-year-old partner, who attempted to intervene during the brutal attack.
Mr Brierley sustained 164 separate impact injuries, the vast majority of which were likely caused by weapons.
We were called to an address on Berkeley Close shortly before 1pm on November 8, last year, after a report that a man, later identified as 48-year-old Mr Brierley, had been found deceased within a bungalow.
Mr Brierley died as a result of head, chest, upper and lower limb injuries, according to a post mortem examination performed by Home Office pathologist Dr Philip Lumb.
Following the discovery of Mr Brierley’s body, a murder investigation was launched, and it was discovered that Mustafa had been staying at Berkeley Close and had a controlling relationship with Mr Brierley and his partner. Mustafa assaulted both victims on numerous occasions in the months leading up to the murder, took over the house where they lived, and had Mr Brierley’s disability benefits paid into his own bank account.
The victim and Mustafa went to a nearby convenience store to buy alcohol on the morning of Mr Brierley’s murder.
Mustafa was caught on CCTV assaulting Mr Brierley on his way to the store. They eventually returned to Barkley Close.
Mustafa was apprehended leaving the property after changing his clothes at 12.43pm, two minutes after Mr Brierley’s partner called an ambulance to report the victim was unresponsive in the hallway.
Forensic scientists were later able to conclude that Mustafa’s shirt and jacket, which were discovered inside the bungalow in Berkeley Close, contained traces of Mr Brierley’s airborne blood. This established that the defendant was in close proximity to the victim at the time of the fatal attack. Mr Brierley’s blood was also discovered on Mustafa’s grey jogging bottoms, which were found inside the bungalow, near Mr Brierley’s body. These joggers had Mustafa’s bank card in their pockets.
Mustafa later attempted to remove his trainers after returning home. Officers later recovered the trainers, which contained traces of Mr Brierley’s blood.
During police interviews, Mustafa claimed to be Mr Brierley’s friend and denied ever assaulting him.
Mustafa, of St Paul’s Road, Nelson, was found guilty of murder and Section 18 assault by a jury at Preston Crown Court.
A Nelson woman, 31, was found not guilty of assisting an offender.
Mustafa was sentenced to life in prison today (June 16) and told he must serve at least 27 years before being eligible for parole.
“I am pleased with the sentence handed down to Mustafa,” said DCI Allen Davies of the Force Major Investigation Team. He is a callous, manipulative, and remorseless individual who is a clear danger to society’s most vulnerable members. No sentence can ever compensate for the devastation caused to Michael’s family and friends, but I hope they feel some sense of justice knowing that Mustafa will have to serve a significant amount of time in prison before even being eligible to appear before the Parole Board. Even then, he may never be considered fit for release.” Sadly, this investigation has revealed that Michael and his partner were victims of cuckooing at the hands of Mustafa. He took advantage of their weaknesses for his own financial gain, controlling their lives, subjecting them to regular violence and verbal abuse, and having Michael’s benefits paid into his own bank account. We know Michael told friends and neighbours about what was going on, but, as is common in cuckoo cases, he told them not to go to the police for fear of what Mustafa would do to him. Today, I’d like to personally encourage anyone who is a victim of cuckooing or any other type of physical, emotional, or financial abuse to contact the police and let us know what’s going on before it’s too late. We will listen to you, protect you, and prosecute your abuser. Similarly, I would like to urge the public to keep an eye out for their neighbours, friends, and family members, and to report anything suspicious to the police. Whether it’s shouting from a property, a change in someone’s demeanour, evidence of someone exercising control over someone else, or unexplained injuries. These could all be signs of cuckooing, and reporting them to police could save someone’s life.”
Cuckooing is a practise in which people take over a person’s home and use it to facilitate financial or other exploitation.
Although the term is commonly associated with county lines drug gangs taking over vulnerable people’s homes to use as a base to sell, produce, or hide illegal substances or weapons, it encompasses all forms of exploitation in which people are forced to do things they don’t want to do due to fear of violence.
If this happens to you, a friend, or a neighbour, please contact us as soon as possible. Or, if you have information, no matter how minor or insignificant you believe it is, please don’t wait for someone else to tell us or assume someone else has already told us. We will believe you, take you seriously, and take the appropriate action. That small piece of information could prevent someone from suffering serious harm or even being killed.
Call 101. Always dial 999 in an emergency or if a crime is in progress.
