A man who launched a fatal axe attack on his friend, claiming self-defence, has been handed a 16-year prison sentence. Callum Howe, 23, was found guilty of manslaughter following a trial at Teesside Crown Court, concerning the death of Mohammed Shaan Ali Rasul, also 23.
Mr Rasul was discovered dead in Howe's flat in Allerton Close, Hartlepool, in November 2025, suffering from severe head and facial injuries. Judge Francis Laird KC described Howe's actions as a "frenzied and brutal attack" carried out while he was under the influence of a cocktail of drugs, stating that his friend "did not stand a chance at surviving."
The court heard that an altercation took place between the two men in the bedroom of Howe's flat on 23 November last year. Emergency services were called by neighbours after Howe was seen jumping from a first-floor window and stumbling around the cul-de-sac. Police and paramedics found Mr Rasul on the bedroom floor shortly after 11:15 GMT, but despite attempts at CPR, he was pronounced dead. A post-mortem examination indicated that Mr Rasul sustained at least 12 significant impacts to his head and face, with 10 from a "heavy instrument with a sharp cutting edge" such as an axe, which was recovered from the scene. His injuries included multiple fractures and knocked-out teeth, likely compromising his airway.
During the trial, prosecutor Peter Makepeace KC argued that Howe was in a "drug-fuelled rage" and struck Mr Rasul at least 10 times in the face with an axe. He also suggested the dispute stemmed from drug-related issues, a claim Howe denied. Defence barrister Nicholas Lumley KC contended that Howe "fought for his life" after being attacked by a "crazed man full of cocaine with a hatchet." However, the jury took just over three hours to unanimously find Howe not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.
Sentencing Howe, Judge Laird KC stated his conviction that Howe produced the hatchet and that Mr Rasul was "at your mercy." He added, "What you did went way beyond what could be considered as any form of self-defence." Mr Rasul's sister delivered a poignant victim impact statement, describing her brother as having "the biggest heart" and expressing the family's struggle to comprehend how a lifelong friend could take his life. She said, "You did not just take one life, you destroyed an entire family," highlighting the "permanent emptiness in our hearts" left by his loss. Howe will serve at least two-thirds of his custodial term before being considered for parole.