Murder of Mi Gao Huang Chen

Background

Mi Gao Huang Chen, known in the UK as Michael Chen, was born in China and moved to the United Kingdom several years before his death. In 2004, he and his girlfriend Jia Ming Yan (also known as Eileen Jia) bought the Superb Hut takeaway in Scholes, Wigan, Greater Manchester, after its previous owner had abandoned the business due to harassment. In the months preceding the attack, the couple reported multiple incidents of antisocial behaviour to police, including racial abuse and, on 22 April 2005, an incident in which a group of youths smashed a window at the takeaway. Jia later said the police response to these reports was inadequate.

The Attack

On the night of 23 April 2005, Chen, Jia, and their chef (surnamed Wah) confronted a group of youths who had gathered outside the takeaway, chasing them onto a nearby housing estate. As the three turned to leave, the youths returned armed with makeshift weapons — including wooden clubs, metal pipes, a garden hoe and a spade — and attacked Chen. He was kicked to the ground and beaten by multiple assailants over roughly 15 minutes while others blocked Jia and Wah from intervening. The assault, captured on camera, was described by the prosecution as "forceful, deliberate and plain to see." Chen was punched, kicked, had his head stamped on, and was struck with weapons; one attacker was heard repeatedly saying "I'll fucking kill you." Chen fell into a coma and was taken to Hope Hospital (now Salford Royal), where he died on 28 April 2005 at age 41. A pathologist found a fractured skull, a broken jaw, and a partly crushed brain, attributing death to blunt-force trauma to the head.

Investigation and Prosecution

Police arrested six teenagers: Anthony Dunleavy (17), Joe Sankey (16), Jason Hughes (16), Jamie Stephens (16), an unnamed 16-year-old boy, and a 15-year-old girl. A total of 23 people were arrested in connection with the case. Hughes, identified as the ringleader, said the group had gone to the shop seeking revenge for an earlier incident in which the 15-year-old girl was struck in the head by takeaway staff during an argument.

The unnamed 16-year-old boy was cleared of murder by a jury. The 15-year-old girl was acquitted of murder after the jury failed to reach a verdict on that charge, and instead pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The remaining defendants were convicted of murder and received mandatory life sentences. In May 2011, Sankey's minimum tariff was reduced from nine years and eight months to eight years and six months due to what was described as "exceptional and unforeseen progress."

Reaction

Jia and members of the Chinese community viewed the attack as racially motivated, noting the youths involved were white; commentators including Bobby Chan of Min Quan and Suresh Grover of The Monitoring Group argued police failed to adequately support Chinese victims. Greater Manchester Police's Detective Chief Inspector Steve Crimins disputed a racial motive and rejected claims that police failures contributed to Chen's death. The Institute of Race Relations lists the case as having a "known or suspected racial element." The death contributed to local initiatives addressing crime in the area.