A JUDGE has appealed for calm after eight men were cleared of murdering three friends who were hit by a car during last summer's riots.
The Crown alleged that Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir were protecting local businesses when they were murdered in the modern-day equivalent of a "chariot charge" involving three cars in Winson Green, Birmingham.
But Ryan Goodwin, Shaun Flynn, Juan Ruiz-Gaviria, Joshua Donald, Everton Graham, Adam King, Ian Beckford and Aaron Parkins were cleared of three counts of murder each by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court after four hours of deliberations.
Judge Mr Justice Flaux urged people to respect the findings.
He said: "This has been a terrible case – a tragic and pointless loss of three young lives.
"The jury have decided that this was a terrible accident.
"It is important that however strong feelings are within the community in Winson Green and adjacent areas, that calm is maintained and that these verdicts are respected.
"Any other action would not be honouring those who died."
The prosecution alleged all eight defendants were party to a plan to drive a vehicle at a crowd in the early hours of August 10.
It was alleged a Ford Fiesta and an Audi car were used to lure pedestrians into the road, where they were hit by a Mazda.
But the defendants denied the existence of any such plan and the driver of the Mazda, 30-year-old Beckford, denied deliberately driving into the victims.
Beckford told the trial he was good friends with siblings Mr Musavir, 31, and Mr Ali, 30, and had not intended to knock down, kill or seriously harm anyone.
Hours after the deaths, 21-year-old Haroon Jahan's father Tariq made an emotional appeal to youths outside his home.
His call for calm was credited with helping to bring an end to the riots.
In addressing the victims' families, Mr Justice Flaux said: "I know this has been really terrible for you, don't think I don't know that.
"I know Mr Jahan has done wonderful things for the city in ensuring we didn't have a complete conflagration last August.
"Can I please ask you to remain calm and, so far as it is humanly possible, to put everything that happened last August behind you and look to the future."
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