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Guilty - Akoya
Secret affair ended in father’s murder
21/11/2003
A FATHER-OF-TWO died after he was stabbed about eight times by
his best friend, a court heard.
Manchester Crown Court heard how Paul Whitehurst, aged 40, was
stabbed at least eight times with a kitchen knife by pal Hassan
Akoya for refusing to tell him that his wife was in a new
relationship.
Over the next month, a medical team made "heroic efforts" to save
his life but he died despite a series of operations, said
prosecutor Michael Shorrock QC.
Mr Whitehurst had been performing "odd jobs" at Akoya's estranged
wife's home in Moorland Avenue, Crumpsall, when the attack happened
in April.
Akoya, 39, of Middleton, was sentenced to life in prison by judge,
Mr Justice McCombe,after admitting murder.
Mr Justice McCombe said: "It was a crime which had deprived a wife
of a loving husband and the children of their father and was
committed for basically no reason at all."
The judge heard how Akoya and his wife, Diane, had separated last
year. She took their three children, and Akoyo's two children from
a previous marriage, with her to Crumpsall.She later formed a
relationship with another man.
On the day of the murder, Akoya went to his wife's home and found
Mr Whitehurst, who was doing odd jobs in the kitchen.
Akoya called Mr Whitehurst "two-faced" because he believed his
wife's relationship with the other man was being kept from
him.
He went to look for her new boyfriend but confronted Mr Whitehurst
in the kitchen and attacked him.
Akoya later called the police himself and asked to be arrested. He
denied going to the house to hurt Mr Whitehurst and said he was
sorry he had died.
He said he could not remember attacking his pal. He told detectives
he had "lost himself". He also denied taking the knife with him and
claimed he had found it on the floor of his wife's home.
Guy Gozem, defending, said Akoya "bitterly regretted" the killing
and appeared to be "possessed" during the incident.
"He is described as being dispirited, frustrated, angry and fed up,
but he did not go to the house with any intention of harming or
killing his friend," he added.
"He knows he must be punished and feels he deserves that
punishment."
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