Two brothers have been found guilty after a fatal hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of a promising young footballer and left two of his friends with serious injuries.
The three men were sent flying by a BMW driving on the wrong side of the road by Brighton Pier that then sped away from the scene.
Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado, 20, died in hospital after being hit by the borrowed car on December 1, 2019.
Iftekhar Khondaker, 34, was found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder while Irfan Khondaker, 27, was found guilty of assisting an offender at Hove Crown Court on Monday afternoon.
The brothers, from Mitcham, south London, were in the car in the early hours of December 1 2019 when it sent the three men flying into the air, their trial heard.
Prosecutor Kate Lumsdon QC told the trial how Mr Delgado and his friends had been on a night out when they came into contact with the Khondaker brothers and their friend, none of whom they knew.
A fight broke out for reasons that are unclear, with commotion so loud it woke guests asleep in seafront hotel rooms.
The fight moved along the road overlooking the beach for some time before the groups eventually parted.
The Khondaker brothers headed towards the BMW X6 which belonged to their father and Iftekhar got into the driver’s seat while his sibling got into the passenger seat.
Ms Lumsdon said: “The BMW pulled out from its parking space on Marine Parade, it pulled into the wrong side of the road and accelerated.
“It struck three men from that large group as they were still crossing the road, hitting them from behind.”
The BMW then drove off at speed leaving Mr Delgado and his friends “strewn across the road” while those who escaped the crash reacted in horror, the jury was told.
Later that night, the brothers got into an Uber taxi that Irfan had called and travelled back to their home in Mitcham, according to the prosecution.
The pair had denied the offences but were convicted by jurors after more than 16 hours’ deliberation.
The two charges of attempted murder were decided by majority verdict.
Mr Delgado had been a promising young footballer for West Sussex-based Loxwood FC, who play in the Southern Combination Premier Division.
After his death, the club paid tribute to him, saying: “We will miss his cheeky smile, energy and jokes – such a lovely lad to have around the club.”
Sentencing is expected to take place on Thursday February 4.
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