A Bradford man who helped his killer brother-in-law to flee the country after a "dreadful" murder has been jailed for 12 months.

Taxi driver Mohammed Ghaffar, 35, who had been described as a "pillar of his community", drove Abid Ashiq Hussain to Manchester Airport after obtaining him a one-way ticket to Pakistan following the shooting of dad-of-four Shazad Hussain.

Ghaffar then lied to police about his involvement.

Abid Hussain was one of three men jailed for a total of 88 years in July after they were convicted of the cold blooded assassination of 21-year-old Shazad.

Ghaffar was found guilty after trial of perverting the course of justice.

Sentencing him at Leeds Crown Court today Judge James Stewart QC said his purpose was to assist a murderer.

The judge added: "Whether he was your brother-in-law or there were conflicts in the family matters not. Those who assist murderers to escape justice go to prison. The sooner those attempting to do so know it the better."

Restaurant worker Shazad was shot twice as he sat in his car in an alleyway behind Amberley Street, off Leeds Road, in the early hours of September 25, 2004. The first shot shattered his window and hit him in the arm. The second, fired from close range, hit him in the chest and killed him.

Judge Stewart told Ghaffar he knew his brother-in-law was involved in the dreadful murder.

"Abid Ashiq Hussain was the organiser of the murder of a young married man with a child and when his wife was eight months pregnant," the judge said. "The murder was probably because of gang rivalry and drug dealing, words that we hear far too often these days.

"You were a man of good character, highly respected in your community, the sole breadwinner for your young family. You are married with four children. I have read a letter from your wife which is touching. You own your own home on which you have a mortgage.

"You put all this at risk by sinking to the level of the gutter."

The judge said Ghaffar drove his brother-in-law to the airport by a country route avoiding the motorways in case he was caught on camera, and then lied to police.

Abid Hussain, 26, of Rushton Terrace, Thornbury, and Mohammed Niaz Khan, 26, of Wensleydale Road, Thornbury, were both jailed for a minimum of 30 years in July for the murder. Sharaz Yaqub, 26, of Silverhill Road, Thornbury, was sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in prison. Daniel Jones, 24, of Peterborough Road, Undercliffe, who was convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, was jailed for 18 months.

Senior Investigating Officer, Det Supt Andy Brennan, said after the hearing: "Mohammed Gaffar was instrumental in assisting an individual who was responsible for the murder of Shazad Hussain by providing transport to the airport and giving police officers false information."