Kriss Donald killers came close to escape

The race hate killers of teen Kriss Donald came close to escaping justice because Home Office officials were reluctant to have them pursued in Pakistan.

Twisted thugs Imran ‘Baldy’ Shahid, his brother Zeeshan, known as ‘Crazy’ and Mohammed Mushtaq were all handed life sentences for the abduction, torture and murder of the 15-year-old.

The schoolboy was snatched off the street in Pollokshields, Glasgow, on March 15, 2004 10 years ago yesterday and his mutilated body discovered the following day on a footpath close to the River Clyde.

But before police were able to arrest them, the racist trio fled the UK and went on the run in Pakistan.

Speaking on the anniversary of the murder Elliot McKenzie, who led the hunt for Kriss’s killers, revealed just how close brutal Imran Shahid and his gang came to avoiding a prison cell.

He said: “From the intelligence picture we had, we knew they were over in Pakistan, lording it up, continuing their criminal activity and, to me, putting two fingers up to UK justice. It’s 100% correct to say they could have escaped justice.

“We met with the Home Office who told us they had an extradition treaty being negotiated and it was close to conclusion. In short they didn’t want us to pursue them.

“We thought long and hard about the situation, as did the Crown Office.”

He added: “It was decided we would seek a one off extradition treaty between Scotland and Pakistan.

“MP Mohammad Sarwar brokered a meeting at Westminster. The international division of the Crown Office, Pakistani High Commission, Pakistani Police, Home Office and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office all attended.

“I had no idea how it would go. Our attitude was, as long as there was a chance we could get them, we were going to give it a go. I don’t think the Home Office were best pleased with the conclusion.”

Ringleader Imran Shahid, 29, and his gang terrorised the Pollokshields area of Glasgow and had established criminal links.

The night before Kriss was abducted, Shahid was involved in a bust-up outside a city centre nightclub with a group of white males. Within hours they went in search of revenge and a victim.

Det Sup McKenzie added: “What was shocking was the way they went about it. They obtained the stolen car, went back to their house and tooled up, then went looking for a white person.

“Kriss’s friend Jamie Wallace was known to them. They went for him, but he managed to get away. Kriss had a long way to go if he was going to get to his own house.

“Witnesses said he clung on to the railings as long as he could before they broke his grip and threw him in the car as he was protesting his innocence.

“He was abducted at approximately 3pm and the time of death was put at roughly 8pm. There was a five hour window where we didn’t know where he was.

“It’s unimaginable what Kriss went through. They stopped and bought the petrol they would later use to set him on fire. I’m quite sure they told Kriss what his fate was going to be.

“His mother Angela was remarkable. After the case concluded and before the verdict, having listened to all the evidence, and seeing them every day, Angela turned to me and said ‘I know one thing now, there was only one man in that car, Kriss. He was the real man.

“He was a hero in her eyes, and continued to be.”

Far right fanatics the Scottish Defence League tired to hijack the tenth anniversary by holding a demonstration where Kriss’ body was found. Almost forty of them gathered at the site close to the River Clyde in the east end of the city.

Yesterday Angela Donald insisted she didn’t want her murdered son to become a poster boy for extremists.

She said: “Kriss died surrounded by hate, by those men who slaughtered my baby. So why would I want to be part of anything that promotes hate?”

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Thirty four members of the SDL held a short, peaceful demonstration at the site where Kriss’ body was found. There were no arrests and no counter demonstration.”