Ebola claim from Manchester shisha bar defendant 'false'

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-32801509

Version 0 of 1.

A man who avoided a sentencing hearing by writing to the court and falsely claiming he was suffering from Ebola is wanted by police.

The sentencing of six people who ran a shisha bar which broke fire safety regulations had to be halted on Friday after Wali Yaqub failed to turn up.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said Judge Michael Leeming QC was "satisfied the letter was false".

The Manchester Crown Court hearing was adjourned until 23 June.

A letter, claiming to be from a hospital, said the 35-year-old from Burnage was "critical" in Pakistan.

The Ministry of Justice pointed out that Pakistan was "not an Ebola-affected country".

Oasis Lounge, on Great Jackson Street in the Hulme area of Manchester, had a flammable fabric marquee and the fire exit was blocked by barrels of red diesel, the fire service said.

Fire officers said it put "hundreds of people" at risk.

Three people were convicted at a trial in March, while three others had earlier admitted breaching fire safety laws.