WATFORD CON LOSES APPEAL AGAINST 35-YEAR-SENTENCE

A Watford man who was jailed for his part in a revenge shooting which left a dad in a state of “living death” today lost an appeal against his 35-year jail term. Fesar Khiaq, 28, organised the shooting of 55-year-old Mohammed Yasin Khan at the victim’s Hodges Way home in October 2011. Mr Khan was blasted through a bedroom door, sustaining injuries which have left him paralysed down one side and dependent on others for all everyday tasks. Last April, Khiaq, of Yarmouth Road, was convicted of conspiracy to murder and was sentenced to 35 years. Today (February 21), three senior judges sitting at the Court of Appeal said the term was fully justified for the deliberate act of revenge. The court heard Mr Khan had given evidence in a trial of a man who was accused of playing part in an attack which left Khiaq’s brother seriously disabled. Khiaq sat through the trial, during which detailed descriptions of the layout of Mr Khan’s house were given. On October 27, 2011, two men burst into the house, went to Mr Khan’s bedroom and blasted him through the door. But lawyers representing Khiaq argued on appeal that his sentence was too long. The judge sentencing at St Albans Crown Court had wrongly said there were no mitigating factors, when in fact there was the “provocation” of what Khiaq thought was a wrong not guilty verdict in the trial for the attack on his brother. But, refusing the appeal, Lady Justice Macur, Mrs Justice Thirlwall and Judge David Griffith-Jones said Khiaq had deliberately planned the revenge attack and found gunmen to fire the shots. Lady Justice Macur said: “As bad as the injuries were in relation to his brother – and they were serious and had a long-standing impact which will be of lifelong duration – the 55-year-old victim of this particular discharge of a firearm has been left in what may genuinely be described as a state of living death. “We regard this particular sentence obviously to be severe, obviously to be at the top of the range, but after very very careful analysis of all the facts of this case, we are not persuaded that any reduction of his sentence is merited.”