Who was Christopher Hughes? Man falsely accused of sexual crime murdered by eight men
With specialized police teams taking on high-stakes manhunts, Channel 4’s captivating new series immerses you in the action.
When Christopher Hughes is seen being pushed into a car and then going missing, the clock starts to run. What we know about him is as follows.
Who was Christopher Hughes?
The terrible tale of Christopher Hughes begins on February 22, 2022, when the 37-year-old was discovered dead close to a road in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.
Earlier that year, he had been falsely accused of raping a teenage girl at knifepoint.
After being grabbed from the street and thrown into the back of a car, he was viciously stabbed over 90 times.
Even after Greater Manchester Police found that Christopher did not match the DNA evidence from the sexual crime investigation, the men responsible for this heinous deed took matters into their own hands.
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Police claim that on February 17, 2022, the group, who were all related or knew one another, started hunting Wiggan.
Before continuing their hunt the next day until Christopher was kidnapped in broad daylight, they even broke into his house.
On February 18, 2022, Christopher was seen being pushed into a car boot by Curtis Balbas and Erland Spahiu in Wigan’s Almond Grove.
He was then driven to White Moss Road South in Skelmersdale at a high speed, where he was viciously beaten and killed as payback.
On the night of the murder, Dean O. Neill Davey, Andrius Uzkuraitis, Spahiu, and his visiting cousin, Erion Voja, tried to conceal Christopher’s body, according to prosecutor John Elvidge KC.
Police examining a nearby traffic accident halted their attempt to bury him on wasteland.
The group disposed of the car used in the kidnapping, replaced phones, erased texts, and damaged CCTV in an attempt to hide their tracks.
His body was found by a dog walker at the base of an embankment four days after they abandoned it because they were unable to finish the burial.
What happened to Christopher Hughes s killers?
Eight vigilante gang members were given life sentences in February 2023 for their roles in Christopher’s kidnapping and savage murder.
Their combined minimum terms came to an astounding 229 years.
At sentence, Mr. Justice Wall highlighted the victim’s at least 90 stab and slash wounds and called the crime “brutal and, in part, sadistic.”
“It was a murder that was intended to obstruct or interfere with the course of justice,” he added, addressing the defendants. Therefore, 30 years is the starting point for the punishment.
The court stated unequivocally that he thought three of the men—Martin Smith, Curtis Balbas, and Erland Spahiu—had Christopher’s death in mind.
They committed a heinous act in February of last year.
Balbas, a 30-year-old Kurdish Iraqi from Worsley Hall’s Matheson Drive, was given a minimum sentence of 34 years in prison.
Smith, 34, of Greenwood Avenue, received a sentence of 33 years, while Spahiu, an Albanian, received a term of 35 years.
The others were found guilty following a trial, although Balbas had entered a guilty plea to both kidnapping and murder.
On the grounds that they intended to cause grievous bodily harm, the remaining five defendants received their sentences.
Khalil Awla, 48, of Greenwood Avenue, and Alan Jaf, 52, of Ridyard Street, were both given minimum sentences of 26 years.
The Audi used in the crime was stolen and destroyed from M6 Motors, which they owned and operated in Wigan.
Both males were wed to Balbas’s sisters.
Plane Avenue resident Razgar Mohammed, 40, was sentenced to 27 years.
Erion Voja, 21, of Peall Road, Croydon, was given a minimum term of 23 years in jail, while O Neill-Davey, 30, of Conrad Close, faces a minimum of 25 years.
Another defendant, Andrius Uzkuraitis, a 27-year-old Lithuanian living on Holly Road in Worsley Hall, was found guilty of aiding an offender but exonerated of murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.
He received a six-year sentence.
“What the gang did in February last year was nothing short of atrocious,” said Detective Inspector Heidi Cullum of GMP’s Major Incident Team.
“All we can hope for is that his family and friends will find some justice and solace in the verdict and punishment.
The family of Christopher also contributed a tribute. They stated: We want to express our profound gratitude to the North West Crown Prosecution Service and Greater Manchester Police officers for their diligent work on this matter over the past several months.
“We are happy that justice has been served at last.
“Christopher won’t return, but his memory will endure throughout our lives and we shall always cherish it.
How to watch Manhunt?
In a desperate attempt to locate Christopher, DI Justin Bryant and his colleagues go above and beyond in Manhunt, assembling CCTV video, dispatching officers throughout the city, and pursuing every lead.
When the Serious and Organised Crime Group of Greater Manchester Police receives a terrifying 999 call, the clock starts to tick.
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A frenzied hunt is launched when a worried bystander in Wigan claims witnessing a guy being pushed into a car.
Manhunt airs on Channel 4 starting at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, January 14.