Street stabbing: Inquest to open into death of 27-year-old Preston man

Hiwa Saleh Ali-Khani died after an alleged altercation involving a group of teenagers in Raikes Road, Preston 12 days ago.

A coroner is expected to hear evidence of identification before adjourning the hearing to a later date when police enquiries have been completed.

One 16-year-old has been charged with Mr Ali-Khani's murder. He appeared in court in the city last week and will face a trial in January.

Four other teenagers - two boys aged 17 and 16 and two girls aged 16 and 15 - are still under investigation and have been bailed pending police investigations.

Two more youths, both aged 18, were also questioned about Mr Ali-Khani's death, but were released without charge.

The victim, said to be a family man who lived in Raikes Road, was found in the street near to his home with severe chest wounds on the evening of Friday July 8.

Despite the efforts of paramedics and the trauma team at the Royal Preston Hospital he was pronounced dead shortly after.

A post mortem revealed his death was due to stab wounds.

Police detained four youngsters soon after the incident and a further two the following day. The seventh teenager was arrested a day later.

The one to be charged appeared on a video link to Preston Crown Court from a youth offenders' institution in Yorkshire. He spoke only to confirm his name and age and say he understood he would be kept in custody until his trial.

Judge Simon Medland QC ordered the media not to publish anything which might identify him. But he warned the 16-year-old that the ruling would be reviewed and could be changed.

The 17-year-old boy and the two girls have been bailed until August 5, while the boy aged 16 is on bail until until September 3.

Mr Ali-Khani's death was the second fatal stabbing on the streets of Preston in three weeks.

On Jutland Street, less than a mile from Raikes Road, 42-year-old Lee Dawson also suffered serious stab wounds to his chest. Four people were subsequently charged in relation to his death.

Police say the two incidents were not related. They have stepped up patrols in both neighbourhoods to reassure residents.