Duo jailed over taxi driver murder

SLAIN TAXI DRIVER: Abdulrahman Ikhtiari.

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Two youths who killed a Christchurch taxi driver have been sentenced in the Christchurch High Court today.

Shannon David Boyes-Warren, 16, who pleaded guilty to murdering taxi driver Abdulrahman Ikhtiari was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum non-parole period of 15½ years by Justice French.

Randell Legion Wiremu Brown, now 20, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years jail for manslaughter and ordered to serve at least three years and eight months.

Ikhtiari, a 39-year-old father of five, was a refugee who had brought his family to New Zealand from Afghanistan.

Crown prosecutor Mark Zarifeh said that about midnight on December 5, 2008, the youths were in the central city after drinking alcohol.

When they ran out of money, they took Ikhtiari's taxi to go to Boyes-Warren's home to get more. They then asked Ikhtiari to drive them back to the city.

In Worcester St, Boyes-Warren asked the driver to stop. He got out of the taxi, opened the driver's door, produced a knife and demanded money, Zarifeh said.

A struggle then began between Boyes-Warren and Ikhtiari, while Brown reached over from the back seat and grabbed the driver around the head and chest, pinning him to the driver's seat.

During the struggle, Boyes-Warren stabbed the driver several times.

He then stabbed Ikhtiari in the left side of the chest, penetrating his heart.

Ikhtiari tried to chase Boyes-Warren.

He got as far as the middle of the road before returning to the taxi where he collapsed and died.

- © Fairfax NZ News