Jason Pitter QC and James Gelsthorpe secure convictions for the murder of Cole Kershaw
Jason Pitter QC and James Gelsthorpe, instructed by the CPS Complex Casework Unit in Manchester, successfully prosecuted three men for the shooting of Cole Kershaw on 12 August 2020 and another man for assisting them afterwards. The case revolved around a dispute between one of the offenders, Kamran Mohammed, and one of Cole’s friends who was the intended target of the shooting. He and Mohammed had been engaging in a series of escalating violent confrontations as they competed for the affections of the same woman. The dispute culminated in Mohammed arming himself with a firearm and joining with both Khayam Ali Kurshid and Mohammed Izaarh Khan on the evening of the murder. The three defendants then pursued a car, containing Cole Kershaw and his friends, in their own vehicle, shooting at it as they sped through the streets of Bury. Tragically, the final shot struck and killed Cole Kershaw as he tried to escape.
The trial lasted six weeks and involved a detailed analysis of CCTV movements and telephone communications, as well as eyewitness accounts and psychological evidence.
On Friday 21 May 2021 all three defendants convicted of murder received life sentences, with Mohammed and Kurshid receiving minimum terms of 27 years and Khan receiving a minimum term of 24 years. Raheem Hall, who had helped the shooters escape the area soon afterwards and helped Mohammed purchase petrol in order to destroy evidence, was sentenced to 4 years’ imprisonment.
