Man who killed ‘Good Samaritan’ when he ploughed into crowd jailed for 26 years

A driver who murdered “Good Samaritan” Chris Marriott by running him over as he helped an injured woman has been jailed for a minimum of 26 years.

Hassan Jhangur, 25, killed father-of-two Mr Marriott when he ploughed his car into the middle of a wedding brawl in Sheffield just after Christmas 2023.

Devout Christian Mr Marriott had stopped to help an injured woman – Jhangur’s sister – as he passed the mayhem while out on a post-Christmas walk with his family.

A number of other people were injured by the car – including off-duty midwife Alison Norris, who had also gone to help, and Jhangur’s own mother and sister.

Sheffield Crown Court heard how the defendant then got out of the blue Seat Ibiza and stabbed his new brother-in-law, Hasan Khan, several times.

On Thursday, Mr Justice Morris jailed Jhangur for life, ordering that he serve at least 26 years before he is considered for parole.

The defendant, who worked as a food delivery driver, was found guilty of murdering 46-year-old Mr Marriott by a jury in July – a year after another set of jurors failed to reach any verdicts in his trial.

The judge told him: “This was a deliberate and senseless act of hot-headed and wanton violence resulting in the tragic death of Chris Marriott and life-changing consequences for many others.”

The judge added that this was a “moving and very sad case”.

He said: “The fact that Chris Marriott, a passer-by, was engaged in the public-spirited and selfless act of assisting a young woman who was lying apparently unconscious in the street is a further aggravating factor of the offence.”

There was no reaction from Jhangur as he stood to be sentenced flanked by five prison officers.

Mr Marriott’s widow Bryony sat watching from the public gallery, with many family and friends.

Earlier, Mrs Marriott wiped away tears as she told the court: “Chris was genuine, kind and loving.

“He was reliable, trustworthy, affectionate and gentle.”

Mrs Marriott said: “Chris was someone people felt comfortable and safe with, and was great at being a friend.”

She said: “Chris was a man of faith, and his love for God and for people shone through in what he devoted his time to.

“He had a compassionate heart and loved helping, supporting and empowering others.”

Mrs Marriott said they had been married for 16 years and they thought they would grow old together.

She said he “loved being a dad, and never left me or them in any doubt of his love for us”.

She told the court: “I miss his smile and his laugh, his touch, and his wisdom and his encouragement.

“He was my best friend.”

Mrs Marriott said: “Our time as a family of four was so much shorter than we ever imagined.

“But it is my hope that Chris’s life, more than the manner of his death, has a lasting impact on me, my children, and many others.”

Jhangur was cleared of attempting to murder Hasan Khan, but guilty of his wounding with intent, as well as three charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Alison Norris, Ambreen Jhangur, Nafeesa Jhangur and the wounding with intent of Riasat Khan.

His father, Mohammed Jhangur, 57, also of Whiteways Road, Sheffield, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice after he concealed a knife and, on Thursday he was given a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.

Outlining the sequence of events that led to Mr Marriott’s death, the judge said Jhangur used his car “as a weapon”.

He explained the animosity between the Khans and the Jhangurs that erupted in violence in the Burngreave area of Sheffield after a wedding between Hasan Khan and Amaani Jhangur.

Mr Marriott was out with his family on a post-Christmas walk when he saw Nafessa Jhangur lying apparently unconscious in the road and decided to see whether he could help, while his wife and children returned home.

Ms Norris, who was also out walking with her partner and children, did the same thing.

The court heard Jhangur had been told about his sister being injured, and arrived at the scene in a Seat Ibiza, driving into Hasan Khan’s father, Riasat Khan, who was standing in the middle of the road talking to a 999 call operator.

The Seat then hit the group of four people in the road before coming to a stop in a nearby front garden.

Jhangur got out of the car while the engine was still running and stabbed Hasan Khan multiple times to the left side of his head and to his chest, with a knife he had taken with him.

In a statement on Thursday, Ms Norris said: “What happened that day has affected every part of my life. I hope that those involved have begun to understand the full scale of what happened, and the pain it has caused to so many.

“While I respect that the sentence handed down is a sobering reminder that actions have consequences, I think rehabilitation is more effective than punishment.”

Her solicitor Donna Hughes, of Thompsons Solicitors, said: “Alison has shown remarkable strength and grace throughout this process. The sentence delivers accountability, but it cannot undo the lasting harm caused by a single reckless act.”

CPS specialist prosecutor Edmund Hulbert said: “Chris Marriott was only trying to help out a stranger. He could never have foreseen the horrifying act of violence that followed.”