Axe ambush on A2: two men jailed for brutal roadside attack

Two attackers linked to Napier Barracks & Afghanistan jailed after forcing a car off the A2 & launching a pre-planned axe ambush in a violent roadside clash.

Two men who carried out a planned roadside ambush with an axe near Canterbury have been jailed for a combined 48 years, after a jury at Canterbury Crown Court convicted them of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent. The attack took place on 14 December 2024 on the A2 near the Wincheap junction when a silver Mercedes forced a white Seat to stop in the live carriageway before its occupants were assaulted. Officers arrived to find two men in their 20s and 30s with serious head injuries, including one who had been struck with an axe. A third victim escaped unharmed and assisted emergency services in providing first aid.

Detectives immediately launched an extensive investigation and soon identified that the attack was targeted, with all parties known to each other. The suspects fled the scene and left the victims with what prosecutors described throughout the trial as sustained and deliberate violence. The investigation quickly identified Dawood Khan as a suspect. He left the UK for Afghanistan the day after the incident but returned to London on 25 January. The 28-year-old was arrested at his home three days later. Officers also tracked Esmatullah Paktiawal, who returned to Napier Barracks in Folkestone shortly after the attack with injuries to his head, back and hands. He initially claimed he had fallen against a fence, but was taken to hospital by ambulance and later arrested in Manchester on 23 February.

Both men denied the charges during a six-week trial but were unanimously convicted on Friday 21 November. On Wednesday 26 November the pair were each sentenced to 24 years in custody for their roles in the attack. Paktiawal, of Britannia Place, Plymouth, and Khan, of Westchester Drive, London, were described by the prosecution as acting together in a premeditated and coordinated assault. Detective Inspector Colin McKeen said the sentences reflected the seriousness of the violence used and confirmed that Kent Police would continue to ensure offenders of this nature are held to account. https://x.com/ukcourtslive/status/1994031432495247695?s=46

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