TWO men who bundled an 87-year-old man into the back of a car before strangling him and threatening him with a knife have been found guilty of his kidnapping and assault.
Azizur Rahman and Shohad Miah forced the victim into the vehicle as he walked home from Oldham Central Mosque in September 2024.
Greater Manchester Police say they locked him in the car, subjected him to a “violent and sustained assault” before dumping him 15 miles away.
They knocked out the pensioner’s teeth, leaving him with serious injuries including a bleed on the brain, lacerations and bruising.
Detectives said the victim was eventually released after being robbed of his phone, money and keys, left abandoned on a dark road in Rishworth, West Yorkshire.
Manchester Crown Court heard the man had also been stripped of his clothes and forced to drink alcohol.
Police say the car was left burnt out in a failed plan to destroy any trace of forensic evidence.
Detective Sergeant Rick Bolt said it was a targeted attack.
“Azizur Rahman and Shohad Miah have been convicted for their heinous crimes,” he said. “This conviction serves as a reminder that such acts of violence will not be tolerated, and justice will be served.
“This was not a random attack; the victim was specifically targeted due to a prior visit to Rahman’s home, where he had performed prayers and provided amulets for Rahman’s stepson.
“Fortunately, the kidnap was captured on CCTV footage, which along with other evidence, led investigation officers to the offenders.”
Rahman, 38, of no fixed abode, was found guilty of kidnap, robbery, assault, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice at Manchester Crown Court.
Miah, 24, of Fir Bank Road in Royton, was found guilty of kidnap, assault, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice.
The pair will be sentenced on Tuesday, May 25.