THE devastated family of a murdered man buried his brain yesterday – more than 17 years after the rest of his body.
Taxi driver Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor died after being shot in Gedling in November 1994. His funeral was held seven months later at Wilford Hill Cemetery.
Nobody has ever been brought to justice for the murder, despite a £10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction.
It was not until May this year that the family discovered Mr Ghafoor was buried without his brain, which was discovered during an audit at the Queen's Medical Centre.
Now, after holding the second funeral, they say their pain has been doubled.
Yesterday, in front of a crowd of mourners, a casket containing Mr Ghafoor's brain was laid to rest.
In a statement read out at the service, his mother, Walayat Begum, of Sherwood, said she wanted police to put together a team of cold-case experts dedicated to bringing her son's murderer or murderers to justice.
She said: "My family have lost all trust in the police's ability to solve complex cold crimes. I wholeheartedly believe that the police have failed to properly investigate the murder of my son Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, and now they have caused me and my family further grief and heartache by telling us that we did not even bury my son properly.
"The failure of the police to adequately investigate and pursue lines of enquiries in a cold case after 18 years is an appalling example of policing, one not to be proud of.
"Just because my son died in 1994 does not mean that his case should be forgotten by the police.
"His murder or murderers are still out their and we as a family demand justice.
"The damage done to my family is irrevocable and will always remain with us forever and talked through generations to come.
"Nevertheless, our fight for justice now grows even stronger."
Mr Ghafoor, of Central Avenue, Sherwood, was shot in the body and head as he sat in his cab at 4.30am in Gedling on November 22.
The 26-year-old was killed in the car park of Lambley Lane playing fields with what police believe was a semi-automatic handgun.
Brother Aslam Ghafoor, 55, said the burial of Ethsham had been difficult to deal with.
He said: "This has reopened old wounds that didn't need to be reopened. This is not something that should have happened – and the old feelings of injustice have come flooding back. We have lost a lot of trust in the police over this and we still are left without answers regarding the death of my brother, which hurts us too.
"This is not closure – how can it be?
"We didn't have closure at the first burial and we do not have it now. Justice has not been done."
Notts Police say Mr Ghafoor's murder and other historic unsolved cases are reviewed every few years, with the potential for further forensic examination, in light of any new techniques.
Anyone with information is asked to call Notts Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
