Skip to content

Jury discharged at Rochdale grooming gang trial

EPA The entrance to Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester. with two sets of stairs in between two columns of the redbrick, multi-storey building, on top of which sits a wall of glass panels rising to a point. People can be seen walking along the pavement outside. EPA
The trial is being held at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester

A jury in the trial of eight men accused of historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale has been discharged for legal reasons.

The defendants deny various alleged sexual offences said to have been committed against two teenage girls between 2001 and 2006.

Both complainants are said to have been targeted from the age of 13.

The prosecution opened its case last week but earlier the jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court was discharged by Judge Jonathan Seely.

A new jury will be selected later for the trial, which is expected to last three months.

Mohammed Zahid, Kashir Bashir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Roheez Khan, Mohammed Shahzad, Nisar Hussain, Naheem Akram and Arfhan Khan deny all the allegations against them.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.

Related internet links