Rashane Douglas to be sentenced for double murder in June

Rashane Douglas, 19, of Jade Place, in Huddersfield was found guilty of the murder of Joshua Clark, 21, from Wakefield, who had links to Bradford, and Haidar Shah, 19, at Bradford Crown Court (BCC) on March 12.

The 19-year-old stabbed the two men to death in a jealous rage with an eight-inch locking knife outside Maggie's nightclub, in Commercial Street, Halifax at 3.45am on October 1 last year.

Douglas admitted to concealing the knife in his trainer to "get it inside" the club and the court heard how he had already been convicted for carrying a knife in 2022, after being caught with a similar blade on November 17 that year. 

Rashane Douglas, 19, of Jade Place, in Huddersfield (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

He also faced a charge of attempted murder in relation to a third man, Brandon Coope, 18, from Bradford, who survived a slash wound inflicted by Douglas as he fled the scene.

But the jury returned a not guilty verdict on this, instead finding Douglas guilty of wounding with intent.

Messages sent by Douglas’s friends after the fatal stabbings talked about the event of the night with one reading: “his knife works mad” in reaction to the three stabbings.

One of those friends, Yaseen Iqbal, 19, of of Hall Bower, Huddersfield was found guilty of assisting an offender at the same trial.

Iqbal helped Douglas avoid arrest after his friend fled the scene, by joining him in a taxi, letting him stay at his house that night, and helping him dispose of the clothing he had been wearing at the time.

The 19-year-old said he only found out that Douglas had stabbed people just before he told him to hand himself into the police.

Douglas went to the police hours after the stabbing at 10.45am on October 1.

The night began in normal fashion, on September 30, 2023.

Joshua Clark, 21, from Wakefield and Haidar Shah, 19 were murdered on October 1, 2023 (Image: West Yorkshire Police)

Mr Coope spent the afternoon in Bradford, looking for new footwear in The Broadway, before heading to Wakefield with another friend to meet Mr Clark.

They went to a pub for food and drinks, before returning to Bradford and meeting Mr Coope's uncle at Q Gardens, in Odsal, where they continued to drink.

Mr Coope and Mr Clark decided at 10.45pm to carry the night on in Halifax, with the other friend dropping them off in his car before heading home.

They had arranged to meet up with Mr Shah at some point, the court heard.

All eventually ended up together in Maggie's in the early hours of October 1, 2023, but trouble began to rumble when Douglas took aversion to seeing Mr Shah in a booth in the club with his arm round a girl named Kira Hamilton and speaking to her, the court heard.

Police carrying out forensic enquiries at the scene in Halifax town centr (Image: PA)

Ms Hamilton, who Mr Douglas said was his ex-girlfriend, had also messaged him about meeting at the club.

Douglas went over to the booth with Iqbal and another friend, Levell Clarke.

Footage from CCTV cameras showed Douglas removing Mr Shah’s arm from Ms Hamilton’s shoulder and replacing it with his own.

Ms Hamilton later told police that Douglas had asked her: “Why you sat in front of me doing this?” before getting “angry” and asking Mr Shah his name and where he was from.

During the confrontation, Mr Shah got up and walked away from the booth, later walking Ms Hamilton to a taxi outside the nightspot and returning inside.

Prosecutor Mark McKone KC said Douglas was seen on CCTV appearing to follow the pair down the road, before waiting in the club for Mr Shah to return.

The stabbings happened when both sets of friends had left the bar.

CCTV from the street outside showed an attempt by Mr Coope to punch Douglas before Mr Shah and Mr Clark crossed the road towards the murderer as he backed away.

Douglas then pulled a knife with his right hand from his pocket and, after initially appearing to hide it behind his leg, stabbed all three men "very fast".

The footage, which prompted sobs from the public gallery, then showed Douglas running away and throwing the knife down a drain.

Tributes near Victoria Theatre, in Halifax on February 25, 2024 (Image: Telegraph & Argus)

Members of the public and staff from the nightclub performed CPR on the injured men and used clothing to staunch their wounds.

One witness said: “I just remember being covered in blood.”

At trial, Douglas denied murder, attempted murder, and wounding with intent and claimed he was acting in self-defence as he was "surrounded" by his attackers.

He told the court he carried a knife "just to scare people off".

Douglas pleaded guilty to possessing a knife in a public place.

His Honour Judge Jonathan Rose said on conviction Douglas faced a life sentence in prison for the two murders, and told Iqbal that he had “interfered with justice” by assisting his friend to avoid arrest.

He remanded both men in custody and adjourned the proceedings for sentencing at a later date.

West Yorkshire Police confirmed today that Douglas is set to be sentenced on Monday, June 3 - almost three months after he was convicted and a few weeks before he turns 20.