Taxi Driver was Killed after Violent Assault

A taxi driver was killed after he was violently assaulted, an inquest heard amid an ongoing murder investigation.

Ali Asghar, aged 39, was attacked on Queensway in Rochdale at around 5 am on Saturday, October 30, 2021.

Greater Manchester Police attended the scene and Mr Asghar was rushed to Royal Oldham Hospital with serious injuries.

Inspector Peter Crowe, of GMP Rochdale’s response team, said at the time:

“This was a horrendous assault on a man who should be safe when going about his daily life.”

Mr Asghar was later transferred to Salford Royal Hospital and died on November 14, 2021, 15 days after the attack.

An inquest into the taxi driver’s death was opened by coroner Catherine McKenna at Rochdale Coroner’s Court.

The court heard the details of the incident on Monday, November 22, 2021.

The taxi driver had been transporting two passengers before 5 am on Queensway on the day of the attack.

After coming to a stop outside of a Shell garage, both male passengers got out of the vehicle.

They had then “violently assaulted” Mr Asghar, according to senior police coroner’s officer, Paul Lever.

Connor McPartland, aged 20, of Oldham, was charged in connection with the murder of Ali Asghar.

Another man, 18-year-old Martin Treacy, also of Oldham, was also charged in connection with the same murder.

They had originally been charged with section 18 assault and McPartland was also charged with possession of a bladed article.

However, the pair appeared in court again on Thursday, November 18, 2021.

They were charged with murder following the death of the taxi driver.

Both will appear at Manchester Crown Court for their first hearing in January 2022.

It comes after eight men were charged with conspiracy to murder following the killing of a taxi boss.

Mohammed Haroon Zeb, known as Haroon, was ‘shot in the head’ on Sunday, January 31, 2021, in Dudley in the West Midlands.

It was his 39th birthday and he had returned from work when he was shot. He was rushed to hospital where he died within hours.

Prosecutors said that a feud involving two families led to the death of Mr Zeb, who managed Midland Taxis in Dudley.

Four were also charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and another with assisting an offender.

All deny the allegations.

A further review into the inquest of the taxi driver Ali Asghar’s death is set to take place sometime in December 2021.