Sheffield Hit-and-Run Driver Convicted for Murder of Teenager Abdullah Taleb
In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Darnall, Sheffield, a driver has been convicted for the murder of a 16-year-old boy after deliberately mounting the pavement with his car. Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, was found guilty today at Sheffield Crown Court for the hit-and-run killing of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb on June 4 last year.
CCTV Footage Reveals Tragic Moments Before the Incident
CCTV footage presented to the jury shows teenager Abdullah innocently walking along the pavement, casually throwing and catching a water bottle, moments before Zulkernain Ahmed struck him with his grey Audi. The court heard how Ahmed's car moved to the wrong side of Staniforth Road in Darnall as he targeted a group of e-bikes and mopeds, knocking one rider over a hedge before continuing forward and hitting Abdullah, who was also known as Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Al-Yazidi.
Brother Cleared of Murder but Found Guilty of Manslaughter
Zulkernain Ahmed's brother, Armaan Ahmed, 27, who was a back seat passenger in the Audi, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter. Another back seat passenger, 30-year-old Adam Mohammed, was cleared of both murder and manslaughter, along with a number of other charges. Prosecutors told the jury that Abdullah was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time' when Zulkernain Ahmed used the car as a 'weapon' to target one of the riders following a dispute over e-bikes.
Additional Charges and Sentencing
Zulkernain Ahmed, of Locke Drive, Darnall, was also found guilty of causing e-bike rider La'rome Divers grievous bodily harm with intent and attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to two other unidentified riders. Armaan Ahmed was found guilty of causing Mr Divers grievous bodily harm. All defendants were cleared of attempting to murder the three riders after three days of jury deliberation. The Ahmed brothers will be sentenced on June 4.
A third Ahmed brother, Zain, who was the front seat passenger, has not been traced by police. Prosecutors detailed how Zulkernain Ahmed set out to target Mr Divers, who was riding along Staniforth Road with two others, one on a moped and another on an e-bike. Mr Divers, who refused to make a statement to police, was seriously injured in the incident. The jury was informed that the defendants were looking for Mr Divers due to a dispute about e-bikes, with Zulkernain Ahmed bringing a baseball bat.
Judge and Community Reaction
Adjourning the case for sentencing, Mrs Justice Tipples described it as 'a terrible case' that 'caused untold devastation' to Abdullah's family. Abdullah's death deeply affected the Darnall community. Relatives and friends said he was devoted to his family and would 'light up their faces with a big smile'. Abdullah had arrived in the UK from Yemen just two or three months before the tragedy and was focused on learning English ahead of starting college in September.
Just before the crash, Abdullah had been in a family member's shop on Staniforth Road. Saleh Alsirkal, a family member, expressed the family's devastation: 'His dad brought him over to change his life, to get a better future for his son, but this has happened and destroyed everything.' Friend Oasmah Thabet added: 'For something to happen like this and for your dreams to be cut so short, it's a tragic loss for the family and it's just a shock that can't be described.'
Police Statement and Family Response
Speaking outside Sheffield Crown Court, DCI Ben Wood of South Yorkshire Police stated: 'Abdullah was an entirely innocent boy who tragically lost his life after being struck by a car on Staniforth Road in June last year. He was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. The utterly unacceptable actions of the man responsible has left Abdullah's family facing the devastating reality that they will never see their son again.'
DCI Wood read a statement from Abdullah's family: 'Our son Abdullah was just 16 years old, an innocent boy who had recently arrived from Yemen, full of hope for a safe, peaceful and productive life in England, when he was taken from us as a result of an ongoing feud that was nothing to do with him. We are devastated by our loss but our faith gives us strength and we welcome the guilty verdict.'
