A man and a teenager have been given life sentences for the brutal murder of a Bradford builder who was dragged into the street while unconscious and left to die.

Paul Ackroyd, 37, a much-loved son and father, was attacked at a flat in Jinnah Court, Manningham, Bradford, in the early hours of February 23, 2019.

Today, Alex Bates, 19, of Eastfield Gardens, Holme Wood, Bradford, was detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure for a minimum term of 14 years and 358 days.

Rashpal Singh Gill, 40, of Leeds Road, Bradford, was jailed for a minimum term of 11 years and 358 days.

They were convicted of murder yesterday after a trial at Bradford Crown Court.

Mohammed Jawaid Khan, 53, of Leylands Lane, Heaton, Bradford, who was cleared of murder but found guilty of assisting an offender, was imprisoned for a total of four years for that offence and conspiracy to supply Class A drugs.

Police have released a pictured of Khan following the sentencing.

Bates and Khan pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, and Gill admitted being concerned in the supply of cocaine, before the trial started.

In December 2019, Bates admitted seven counts of supplying heroin and crack cocaine for the Lloyd Line ‘ring and bring’ dealing organisation. He also admitted an assault by beating for his role in a group attack on a man in the street. He was given concurrent sentences for the drugs offences.

Mr Ackroyd's family gave a moving tribute 

Mr Ackroyd, known as Acky, had gone to the Jinnah Court flat to buy crack cocaine.

Prosecutor Peter Moulson QC said that an estimated £200,000 worth of Class A drugs were sold from the flat in the six months before Mr Ackroyd was murdered.

A hammer was found behind a curtain at the address and wheel braces, a chisel and a skewer were also seized from there by the police.

Mr Ackroyd sustained multiple blunt force impacts to the head, including a fracture of the left temporal bone.

The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said Mr Ackroyd, the father of two teenage daughters, was only 37 when he was lost to his family.

He was described by his lifelong friend as “a party animal” whose search for crack cocaine that night cost him his life.

Gill took him to the Jinnah Court flat where Bates was on “the night shift” selling Class A drugs.

Mr Ackroyd was shown into the living room and something went wrong with the negotiations, Judge Mansell said.

Bates put him to the floor and exacted swift and lethal punishment. Gill joined in with a possible kick or stamp to the head.

Bates and Gill continued to attack Mr Ackroyd as he lay defenceless on the floor.

Bates and Khan then manhandled the unconscious and dying man out of the flat and left him in the street.

Bates then delivered a final heavy blow probably with a hammer that caused a catastrophic brain injury.

He left the area by taxi taking the weapon away with him after making sure Mr Ackroyd would not recover from his injuries, Judge Mansell said.

Kirsty Rushworth, who called an ambulance for Mr Ackroyd, was acquitted yesterday by the jury of assisting an offender.

In mitigation for Bates, who was 17 at the time, Jo Sidhu QC stated that he did not mete out all the violence on his own. There was no evidence that the “armoury of weapons” at the flat belonged to him.

Bates had been dealing drugs since he was 16. They were supplied to him by those higher up the chain and he sold them on to customers.

He had written to the judge showing insight into the consequences of his actions on Mr Ackroyd’s family and he was very remorseful.

Bates’ mother, sister and partner, had been in court supporting him and he would be separated from them for a very long time. He was a promising student in his early teens and he had the potential to do something constructive with his life.

Balbir Singh, Gill’s barrister, said in mitigation that he encouraged the violence dealt out by Bates but did not take part in it.

It was a spontaneous incident likely as a result of something said or done by Mr Ackroyd to which the response by Bates was wholly out of proportion.

“It’s unlikely that there was an intention to kill here,” Mr Singh said.

There was no evidence that Gill was involved in cleaning the flat but he did help to move Mr Ackroyd on to the street after he was attacked.

Gill had married in 2004 and had a son. The marriage broke down in 2009 and his life had since spiralled downwards.

He had a long-standing history of anxiety and depression and had been in custody for many months. He was now drug free and had the support of his family.

In mitigation for Khan, Abdul Iqbal QC said he was lightly convicted with no previous offending for drugs matters. He was now 53 with a chronic heart condition.

He helped to move the injured Mr Ackroyd a few yards and the police and emergency services were soon on the scene. The murder investigation was not hampered significantly by his actions.

Khan allowed his premises to be used for the sale of drugs. He was a customer in the supply chain rather than a supplier. He was a hopeless drug addict with no extravagances in his life.