Occupation Radio presenter | Name Tushar Makwana Employer Heart West Midlands | |
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Died February 12, 2004, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, United Kingdom | ||
Tushar makwana
Tushar Makwana (2 February 1967 – 12 February 2004) was an award winning British radio personality, killed in a hit-and-run incident during a botched robbery attempt at his home in Birmingham, England.
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Early life
The youngest of three children, Makwana was born in Jinja, Uganda, and moved to Britain when he was four years old with his family after they and many other Asians were forced out of Uganda under Idi Amin's regime.
Interested in radio from a young age, Makwana ran a mobile disco as a teen and helped teach other youngsters about broadcasting. His first experience of broadcasting was as a volunteer at Walsall Hospital Radio, where he once held the position of chairman.
Radio career
Makwana became involved in professional radio whilst working at a credit analyst in London. Working first at Radio Brockley in Stanmore and then at Radio Northwick Park in Harrow, Makwana quickly progressed and he soon left Radio Northwick Park to work for AA Roadwatch providing travel bulletins for the BBC.
In 1997 Makwana moved to 100.7 Heart FM to present a variety of different shows on Saturday evenings and Sunday mornings. In 2002 Makwana won a Silver Award at the Sony Radio Academy Awards for a show he had presented about UB40.
Death
At approximately 4.20 am on 9 February 2004, a group of teenagers broke into Makwana's house at Wasperton Close in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham in an effort to steal the keys to his BMW parked outside. Makwana confronted the intruders, chasing them out of the house, but was knocked down by their getaway car and suffered serious head injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Heartlands Hospital and was later transferred to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where his wife, Deepika, began a bedside vigil. Makwana's severe injuries resulted in the decision to turn off his life support system was made on 12 February. His funeral was held on 25 March. Birmingham Coroner Aidan Cotter praised his family for allowing his organs to be donated.
Following a trial at Leicester Crown Court in December 2004, Brett Frewin, Matthew Jeffrey, Michael McGuire and Ashley Cooksey were convicted of Makwana's manslaughter and jailed for ten years.
On the tenth anniversary of his death, friends and colleagues, including Heart Breakfast presenter Ed James and his BBC WM counterpart Pete Morgan, paid tribute to Makwana.