Gang murdered victim – but gunman never found
No known motive for drive-by killing of dessert shop owner
FIVE men have been jailed for life for the murder of a Birmingham man as he left a barbecue even though the gunman himself remains on the run.
Abdul Rahman Abubaker was fatally shot while riding a quad bike at Stratford Place, Highgate, shortly after a gathering in May 2018, to mark the start of Ramadan.
At Birmingham Crown Court, Fahmi Daahir, 23, Mustafa Omar, 21, Shire Elmi, 23, Abdirahman Dirie, 21, and Abdirahman Yusuf, 23, were handed life sentences, having previously been convicted of murder.
Daahir, Omar, Elmi and Dire were also convicted of perverting the course of justice and arson. Yusuf admitted perverting the course of justice and arson and was convicted of a second arson. Daahir was also convicted of a second arson.
But the killers were all described as ‘‘secondary parties’’ to the gang plot which involved a number of other accomplices, including the person who fired at Mr Abubaker from a three-car convoy of stolen vehicles.
Mr Abubaker, 24, who ran his own business, Bubble Rolls dessert shop in Sparkhill, suffered nine wounds to the stomach and died of his injuries in the early hours of the following morning.
In an statement his family described him as a ‘‘pure soul’’ and said they were still struggling to come to terms with the ‘‘awful living nightmare’’ of his death, more than three years on.
They also revealed they had launched a charitable foundation called AR to the World, which has built a primary school in The Gambia in his memory.
Judge Francis Laird told the killers: “The investigation into this murder has not revealed the motive for it. However, from the evidence presented at the trial, I am sure it was a well-organised and perfectly-executed plan to kill using a firearm and stolen cars.
“I am sure each of you was fully aware of the full nature of the plan from the outset. It is abundantly clear from the evidence others who have not been apprehended were also involved.
“It is unclear to me on the evidence whether Abdul Rahman Abubaker himself
was the intended target or whether the plan was to kill one of the guests at the barbecue.”
He added: “There is insufficient evidence to prove any one of you is the gunman. Indeed the evidence tends to exclude Fahmi Daahir, Mustafa Omar and Shire Elmi from that role. And so each of you will be sentenced on the basis you are not.
“But for the avoidance of any doubt I am sure that each of you was fully aware that the plan was to kill with the use of a firearm.”
The gang had used Hams Road in Alum
Rock as a rally point on the night of the shooting on May 15, 2018.
Several reconnaissance trips were carried out to the barbecue site before the shooting took place around 10.53pm. One of the stolen vehicles used in the convoy, a Ford Kuga, was torched within six minutes back at Hams Road. Shotgun cartridges were recovered from the burnt-out car.
A second stolen vehicle, an Audi A3, was destroyed by fire three days later in Arley Road, Alum Rock, while a Volkswagen Passat also involved has never been recovered.