The Recorder of Bradford, Judge Richard Mansell QC, said that Paul Ackroyd was just 37 years of age when he lost his life in the early hours of Sunday, February 23, 2019.

After spending Saturday evening with two friends, drinking in various city centre public houses, he walked to Manningham in search of a bag or two of crack cocaine that was to cost him his life.

When he wandered into Gracechurch Street shortly before 3am, Rashpal Gill emerged from Jinnah Court and approached him. Gill learnt very quickly that Mr Ackroyd wanted crack cocaine and took him to flat no 10 where he knew he could buy some.

Alex Bates, despite being just 17 ½ years old, was working for an organised criminal group on the night shift selling crack cocaine and heroin to regular users and addicts, but also occasional users like Mr Ackroyd.

Mohammed Jawaid Khan was allowing the evil trade to be conducted under his roof because he was paid a fee which supported his class A drugs habit.

Once Mr Ackroyd entered the flat, he was taken into the living room where Bates started to supply him with a bag or two at most of crack cocaine.

Judge Mansell told Bates: “Something went wrong very shortly into those negotiations. Either he refused to pay what you demanded for the drugs, or he tried to snatch some of your drugs or money.

“I am not satisfied that he used any violence towards you but if he did, it was clearly not significant violence.

“You turned the tables on him immediately and put him to the floor where you exacted a swift, brutal and ultimately lethal punishment for what he had done.”

Judge Mansell continued: “I am satisfied that you joined in with this assault, Gill, not simply by encouraging Bates but by delivering one or more blows to Mr Ackroyd when on the ground, likely to have been a kick or stamp to the head which would account for the finding of the deceased’s blood on your training shoe.

“Acting together, you struck him repeated hard blows about his head and neck, by a combination of punches, kicks, stamps and possible use of a weapon, as he lay defenceless on the living room floor.

“Mr Ackroyd suffered serious injuries to his head and neck, one of which led to a significant subdural bleed which will have rendered him unconscious from that moment.

“That kind of life-threatening injury needs rapid treatment to reduce the swelling on the brain, but instead of seeking any assistance for him, you both did all you could to get away with what you had done.”

Bates and Khan then manhandled and dragged Mr Ackroyd out of the flat and left him the tarmac with his wallet placed alongside him, to give the appearance that he had the victim of a random assault or robbery in the street.

Judge Mansell said Bates later delivered a final, heavy blow to the left side of Mr Ackroyd’s head with a weapon, probably a hammer, fracturing his left temporal bone and causing a catastrophic brain injury.

Khan had allowed his flat to be used as a safe house for dealing drugs, leading indirectly to the death of Mr Ackroyd on and outside the premises.

“You did this for money, in part to feed your own habit or addiction to the drugs. In so doing, you were more than willing to turn a blind eye not only to the dreadful harm this trade causes the addicts, but the fact that with drugs supply comes violence towards those users who either fail to pay or otherwise cross the dealers.”

Mr Ackroyd was tragically yet another victim of the scourge of Class A drugs which continued to blight this society and others, Judge Mansell said.