Two brothers have appeared in court for the first time charged over a seafront road crash in which three men were hit by a BMW.

Older sibling Iftekhar Khondaker is charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder over the incident in Brighton, which led to the death of a promising young footballer.

Police were called to a report of a large group of people fighting by the beach on December 1 last year.

The incident culminated in three men being struck by a BMW X6 car, which was later found abandoned nearby, police said.

Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado, 20, suffered serious head injuries in the crash and died in hospital.

Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado death
Suel Miguel Monteiro Delgado died after he was struck by a car (Sussex Police)

His heartbroken family described him as a “beloved son, brother and friend” and called for justice.

Two other men, aged 18 and 22, were badly injured and were taken to hospital in a serious condition.

A large area of Marine Parade in the city was cordoned off while officers investigated the incident, and detectives from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team launched a murder investigation named Operation Danebridge.

Brighton incident
(from the twitter feed of @HLOBlog)

Brothers Iftekhar Khondaker, 34, and Irfan Khondaker, 26, both of Caithness Road, Mitcham, according to police, appeared at Brighton Magistrates’ Court for the first time on Friday afternoon.

Wearing a blue puma jacket, Iftekhar Khondaker appeared in the dock charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder.

Younger sibling Irfan Khondaker, dressed in a blue jacket and wearing glasses, faces a charge of assisting an offender.

The brothers did not enter pleas to the charges and were remanded in custody.

Magistrate Diana Hurrell told them: “For these matters you are being sent to the Crown Court sitting at Lewes on the 2nd of March at 09.30am.

“You will attend there for a preliminary hearing.”

Mr Delgado had been a promising young footballer for West Sussex-based Loxwood FC, who play in the Southern Combination Premier Division.

After his death the club paid tribute to him, saying: “We will miss his cheeky smile, energy and jokes – such a lovely lad to have around the club.”

In a statement released by police after the incident, Mr Delgado’s family said: “Suel was a beloved son, brother and friend. He always took care of his family and he will be sadly missed.”

A fundraising page to help with the costs of his funeral raised a staggering £12,885 against a target of just £200.