A jury has heard that a 16-year-old schoolboy was tragically in the 'wrong place at the wrong time' when he was killed in an alleged deliberate hit-and-run in Sheffield last year.
Three men are now on trial at Sheffield Crown Court, accused of the murder of Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb. The prosecution alleges the teenager was an innocent pedestrian struck with 'great force' by a car that had mounted the pavement.
The Fatal Afternoon on Staniforth Road
Opening the case for the prosecution, Alistair MacDonald KC told the court that on June 4, 2025, Abdullah was walking along the pavement on Staniforth Road in the Darnall area. At around 16:52, a car travelling in the opposite direction mounted the kerb and struck him.
The impact threw Abdullah into the air, causing what were described as 'catastrophic injuries'. An off-duty clinical support worker performed CPR at the scene before paramedics arrived. Despite emergency surgery performed on the pavement in a desperate attempt to restart his heart, the teenager could not be saved.
'Car Used as a Weapon' Against Cyclists
The court heard that Abdullah was not the intended target of the driver. The prosecution claims the car was 'deliberately steered' onto the wrong side of the road to hit three other young men—two on electric bikes and one on a moped.
One of those riders was struck first and thrown over a hedge, suffering injuries that required extensive surgery. The prosecution stated that CCTV with audio captured the car being 'revved' before the collisions and that no attempt was made to brake.
"The target was not in fact Abdullah, who just happened, tragically, to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr MacDonald told the jury, alleging the vehicle was used 'as a weapon'.
The Accused and the Alleged 999 Call
The alleged driver is named as Zulkernain Ahmed, 20, from Sheffield. The passengers are said to be his brother, Armaan Ahmed, 26, of the same address, and Adam Mohammed, 29, also from Sheffield. A fourth passenger has not been found. The prosecution asserts all three men in the dock were 'all in this together'.
The jury was told that none of the accused called for an ambulance after the collisions. However, six minutes later, at 16:58, Zulkernain Ahmed dialled 999. The prosecutor said he sounded 'as cool as he would if he was ordering a pizza from the local parlour' as he falsely reported his car stolen. The operator directed him to the non-emergency number.
The trial, which is expected to last until February 9, continues.
