Ashley Day death: Teenager facing jail after killing footballer at party
A teenager who stabbed a promising young footballer to death at a party is facing jail.
Ashley Day, 20, was fatally wounded while hosting a two-night gathering at a rented flat in Digbeth, Birmingham, on 27 and 28 June.
Mr Day asked people to leave the apartment after noise complaints were made in the early hours of 29 June.
He was then stabbed three times in the chest and back by knifeman Gurveer Bhandal, 19, who was invited to the party by a mutual friend.
Bhandal fled the scene and dumped the 22cm knife which was found in a nearby construction site, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
He claimed he had acted in self-defence.
Jurors took more than three days of deliberating to convict him of manslaughter – but clear him of murder.
Mr Day decided to rent the flat and host the party to celebrate being accepted on a university course at Brunel University.
It remains unclear who brought the knife to the gathering, West Midlands Police said.
Bhandal will be sentenced for manslaughter in January
The Newport County AFC player excelled at football and was also passionate about music.
Paying tribute, Mr Day’s family said he would be remembered “for his joyous smile that always lit up the rooms he entered”.
“Ashley was happiness,” they said.
“His well-mannered, warm aura always made you feel at ease whenever you were around him.
“Ashley was held in high regard by all who met him, and he will be deeply missed by all.”
They added: “He hated violence and was always the first peacemaker. His smile was infectious, and his sense of humour was out of this world.”
Mr Day, 20, was due to begin a degree at Brunel University this year
At the time of the tragedy, Newport County AFC said it was “deeply saddened” to learn of the “devastating news” of Mr Day’s death.
“Everyone at Newport County AFC’s thoughts are with Ashley’s family and friends at this time,” the club added.
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Bhandal, of Wombourne, South Staffordshire, is due to be sentenced in January.
Investigating officer, Detective Inspector Jim Mahon, said: “Someone brought a 22cm knife to the party. While it has never been proved who did, the dangers of having this knife present has become evident from this case.
“The suspect will now spend a substantial period of time in prison and lose a significant portion of his young life.
“We hope that Ashley’s family have seen justice served and our thoughts remain firmly with them as they continue to grieve for their brother, child and loved family member.”
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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