Muslim man jailed for killing BNP neighbour over racial abuse
30 Aug 2008, 1022 Hrs

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London, Aug.30 (ANI): A Muslim man has been sent to jail for eight years after he stabbed a BNP activist neighbour to death following racial abuse.

Habib Khan, 50, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter after a jury heard he had been tormented for years by 52-year-old Keith Brown.

A single stab in his back with a kitchen knife killed Brown during a violent row outside his home in Stoke-on-Trent in July last year, The Telegraph reports. The Stafford Crown Court heard that Khan, described as a "mild and calm-mannered family man", had intended to use the knife to threaten Brown, who had hold of one of his sons.

Judge Simon Tonking said Khan had acted "in the honest belief that he needed to protect his son" but in doing so, killed Brown.

The court heard that the families' feud began when Khan put in a planning application to build a new house on his land a few years prior to the incident.

Brown objected and when permission was granted and building work began, he "took steps to obstruct it".

The situation escalated over the years, with one incident leaving Khan in hospital.

The court was told that the Khan family was often subjected to racial abuse and taunting.

Khan's defence barrister, Simon Drew, said police were called on a number of occasions, but often investigations "came to nothing" because of "generous failures by the system".

Judge Tonking ordered that Khan serve consecutively six-and-a-half years for manslaughter and 18 months for wounding Brown's son. (ANI)