A driver killed an “entirely innocent boy” who was walking along a pavement as he tried to run over e-bike riders, a court has heard.
Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, 16, was “in the wrong place at the wrong time” when Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, mowed him down as he veered on to the wrong side of the road to target a group of e-bike and moped riders.
Ahmed, of Darnall, Sheffield, was found guilty of murder on Friday after a trial in which jurors saw video footage showing his Audi S3 being driven at the riders, knocking one over a hedge, on a busy Sheffield street.
The vehicle then ploughed into Abdullah as he walked along the pavement.
Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, 16, was ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’ – South Yorkshire Police
Ahmed’s brother Armaan Ahmed, 27, who was a back seat passenger in the Audi, was cleared of murder but found guilty of manslaughter by the jury at Sheffield Crown Court.
The court heard Zulkernain Ahmed was out looking for one of the riders, La’rome Divers, on June 4 following a dispute over e-bikes, and had taken a baseball bat with him.
Speaking outside the court on Friday, Det Ch Insp Ben Wood, of South Yorkshire Police, said: “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 have left Abdullah’s family facing the devastating reality that they will never see their son again. Their loss is immeasurable and no verdict can ever undo the pain they continue to endure.
“I hope that today’s outcome provides Abdullah’s family and loved ones with some measure of comfort, knowing that justice has been served and Abdullah’s killer now faces a significant sentence.”
The detective read a statement from Abdullah’s family, which said: “Our son Abdullah was just 16, 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.”
CCTV still of Ahmed’s Audi driving towards an e-bike rider in Staniforth Road before the fatal collision – South Yorkshire Police
Relatives and friends of the teenager said after his death that he was devoted to his family and would “light up their faces with a big smile”.
He arrived in the UK from Yemen two or three months earlier and had devoted himself to learning English in preparation for starting college in September, his relatives said.
One family member said Abdullah had been in his shop on Staniforth Road just before the crash. He said he had attended a hospital appointment earlier in the afternoon and popped into the store, as he often did, before heading off to get some food.
Saleh Alsirkal said: “His dad brought him over to change his life, to get a better future for his son, but this has happened and destroyed everything.”
Abdullah’s friend Oasmah Thabet said: “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 a just a shock that can’t be described.”
Adjourning the case for sentencing on June 4, the judge, Mrs Justice Tipples, said it was “a terrible case” which had “caused untold devastation” to Abdullah’s family.
Abdullah is seen walking along Staniforth Road just before the collision that killed him – South Yorkshire Police
Zulkernain Ahmed was also found guilty of causing Mr Divers grievous bodily harm with intent and attempting to cause the other two riders, who have never been identified, grievous bodily harm with intent.
Armaan Ahmed, also of Darnall, was also found guilty of causing Mr Divers grievous bodily harm. The court heard Mr Divers refused to make a statement to police.
Another back seat passenger, 30-year-old Adam Mohammed, was cleared of both murder and manslaughter plus a number of other charges on Friday and was told he could walk free.
Mr Mohammed told police: “My sole purpose for getting in the vehicle was to smoke a spliff and then to go play snooker.”
All the defendants were cleared of attempting to murder the three riders.
A third Ahmed brother, Zain, was the front seat passenger of the Audi, but has not been traced by police.
