THE distraught family of a former Sale Grammar School pupil who was murdered in Longsight have made an emotional appeal for help to catch his killer.

Thirty-five year-old Judah Dewar was gunned down in his blue BMW 318 coupe.

Police are baffled about the motive - one possibility is the self-employed courier was murdered for his smart car, in Bletchley Close last Thursday night.

Det Sup't Andy Tattersall says he may have been just 'in the wrong place at the wrong time', and could have been a victim of his own naivety.

His parents, Faye and Donald Dewar, from Sale, and his sister, Sylvia Whight, attended a highly emotional press conference this week.

His sobbing mum, Faye, said: "Judah was a lovely lad who saw no harm in anyone.

"He loved the world and thought the world loved him.

"Somewhere there is an evil person who has taken my son's life.

"We need to get guns off the street - how many more mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers must weep and be in the terrible turmoil we are in?

"Please help us - we need your help."

Tearful sister Sylvia added: "We can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt him. He was very well liked by a lot of people."

Police are still not sure why he was in Longsight on the night he died and are appealing for any of his friends with information to contact them.

Sup't Tattersall said Judah as a very popular man who was a 'free spirit'.

He said: "This was not a drug related murder. Judah was a good lad. We have heard nothing but good about him.

"We don't know the motive for this ruthless murder. We don't know why Judah was there and why the gunman was there."

He wants to hear from anyone anyone who had seen Judah's blue BMW 318 coupe - registration number JDZ 4193 - between 9pm and 11.30pm last Thursday.

Police believe Judah may have been sitting in the car with the driver door window slightly open when the gunman approached, and he could have been trying to flee through the passenger door when he was shot from close range. The bullet hit the top of the vehicle and ricocheted into his chest, killing him immediately.

His body was found lying outside his vehicle by a passer-by at 11.30pm. The car door was open. Half an hour earlier other witnesses had seen Judah lying on the ground but had thought he was drunk.

Judah had many friends in the Sale, Manchester and Longsight areas. For the last 18 years he had lived in Oldham, where his girlfriend lives.

Anyone with information should call the police on 856 4032.

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