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Convicted for murdering Neil Comins
17/07/2024
Janaed Akhtar hit Mr Comins with a baseball bat and stabbed him in his neck
A man has been convicted of the murder of Banbury resident Neil Comins in January this year.
Forty-year-old Janaed Saeed Akhtar hit Mr Comins in the head with a baseball bat and stabbed him to the right side of his neck.
Akhtar, who’s formerly of Cope Road in town, then called 999 himself to ask for the emergency services to attend.
The attack happened in the early hours of Wednesday January 3.
Mr Comins underwent surgery for a significant head injury, but died at the John Radcliffe Hospital the following day. A post-mortem examination ascertained that he had died as a result of traumatic head injury.
In an attempt to divert attention away from himself, Akhtar implicated two innocent people who were co-residents of the property where he lived, one for the murder and the other for an alleged assault on Mr Comins a few days earlier. This resulted in those two people being arrested for an offence they didn’t commit.
However, DNA evidence on the baseball bat linked to Akhtar, along with Mr Comins’ blood on one of his trainers.
A two-week trial at Oxford Crown Court concluded yesterday with the jury unanimously finding Akhtar guilty of one count of murder and one count of perverting the course of justice.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Mike Roddy, of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said: “This attack by Akhtar on Mr Comins was violent in the extreme and completely needless.
“Whatever the motives for the attack, it was clear that Akhtar intended to cause Mr Comins at least very serious harm that night.
“He then made allegations against co-residents, and he has never accepted any responsibility for this murder, this despite DNA evidence being found on the baseball bat that belonged to him.
“This shows that Akhtar cared for nobody other than himself, and throughout this investigation, he has shown not one shred of remorse, and still denies any involvement, despite the weight of DNA evidence against him.
“I would like to pay tribute to Mr Comins’ family at this extremely difficult time.
“They have been dignified throughout the course of this investigation, and my thoughts remain with them all.
“I know that no court outcome will serve as solace for Mr Comins’ family and friends, but I do hope that this conviction will offer a small measure of closure for them all in the knowledge that we have brought Akhtar to justice.”
Akhtar will be sentenced in September.
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam