Guilty verdict in pizza delivery murder trial

The family of murdered Sri Lankan university graduate Thavisha Pereis today said the conviction of his two killers had brought them “some form of solace” after his death.

The 25-year-old, who on his last shift as a pizza delivery man before starting a dream job in IT, was stabbed repeatedly while in his car as he made the final delivery of his shift on October 27 last year in Sheffield. He was stabbed through the heart by two robbers trying to steal his mobile phone.

The “quiet, calm and gentle” Sheffield Hallam University graduate, who had been persuaded to carry out a final delivery before finishing his shift, moved from Sri Lanka in November 2011 to study economic engineering.

Shamraze Khan, 25, of Southey Crescent, Sheffield, was today found guilty of murder by a jury at Sheffield Crown Court. The panel, who gave their verdict with a 10-2 majority, had been deliberating for more than two days.

Kasim Ahmed, 18, from the Darnall area of Sheffield, has already pleaded guilty to the charge ahead of the two-week trial. Ahmed has also admitted two counts of robbery, which Khan also admits.

A statement released by Mr Pereis’s family today said: “We are still devastated and heartbroken over the loss of Thavisha and we are still unable to comprehend that he is actually gone.

“He gave us so many reasons to smile and was so caring and loving. All we have left are our memories, but they will never fill the void in our hearts. He will never again be with us and we will never hear his voice again.

“We sent our son to the UK to study so he could have a better life; we never thought he would be in any danger. The way in which he was taken from us is absolutely devastating, we cannot understand why anyone would do this to another human being and it fills us with such sadness.

“We were extremely proud of Thavisha’s achievements and we were so happy that he was doing so well in England. He was such a kind and considerate man, always full of life and always with a smile on his face, anyone who met him immediately liked him.

“We want to thank the police for all the work they have undertaken to bring those responsible for Thavisha’s death before the courts.

While it doesn’t bring our beloved Thavisha back, we now have some form of solace knowing they will be held to account for what they have done and they will be going to prison.

“We also want to offer our thanks to the public and the media for all of their kind words and support, it means so much to us knowing people cared about Thavisha and wanted to help find those responsible for his death. We cannot thank everyone enough.

“We would never want another family to go through such a tragic loss and endure the pain that we feel; Thavisha was the centre of our world and we will never get over losing him.”

During the trial, Robert Smith QC, prosecuting, told Sheffield Crown Court that Mr Pereis’s murder was a ‘joint enterprise’ motivated by robbery.

The jury heard that barely an hour before the pair left Mr Pereis in a pool of blood at the wheel of his car as they attempted to take his mobile phone, they robbed a young couple in Sheffield city centre.

Both Ahmed and Khan accept being responsible for that knifepoint robbery in which mobile phones were also stolen.

The court heard the pizza delivery driver had pulled up to deliver an order when he was fatally attacked. His phone was found in his car and had been yanked from its windscreen holder.

A post mortem examination revealed he had been stabbed once in his neck and three times in his chest, with the latter puncturing his heart.

The court heard there were stab wounds to his ribs, as well as superficial stab wounds to his face and hands.

Mr Smith told jurors two gloves with Mr Pereis’s blood on were found in Khan’s home, while Khan’s palm print was also found on the roof of Thavisha’s car.

The court heard that Mr Pereis worked until 7am on the day of his death and returned to start another shift later that evening. At 8.40pm, Thavisha asked if he could go home because he was tired.

But his manager asked him if he would take one more order in the Southey Green part of Sheffield as well as one other order. He left the pizza outlet at 9.50pm, the court heard.

Thavisha’s dead body was eventually discovered by a colleague. “He opened the passenger door and touched Thavisha’s arm, but he didn’t move,” said Mr Smith. “At that point he noticed there was blood on Thavisha’s shirt and blood in the car.”

Following the killing both defendants went to the home of Ahmed’s father, and alluded to family members that something serious had happened, but did not reveal what it was, the court heard.

Three days later, Ahmed was discovered by police in a storage area in his girlfriend’s house and Khan discovered hiding in the loft of his parents’ house.

Detective Supeintendent Lisa Ray of South Yorkshire Police, who lead the investigation, said: “Thavisha was a bright, intelligent and caring man who had worked hard to develop his career in Sheffield.

“His murder was an absolute tragedy and has caused untold grief for his mother, father and brother and for his many friends in Sri Lanka and in Sheffield.

“Thavisha was career-minded, hard-working and a friendly young man who was very much planning his future.

His brutal and shocking death at the hands of Khan and Ahmed was a completely senseless and inhuman act.

“I would like to praise the family for the way they have conducted themselves in an extremely dignified way and for the way they have been supported the investigation.

“Whilst nothing can fill the void or replace the loss of Thavisha, I hope his family can take some comfort knowing that justice has been served.” (yorkshirepost)