Trio face life in jail for brutal crossbow murder of burglar

A FATHER and son are facing life sentences along with another man after murdering a would-be burglar with a crossbow.

Edinburgh-born Mohammed Sageer, accountant Omar Ramzan and his father Saghawat Ramzan were unanimously found guilty of murdering kickboxer Khuzaimah Douglas.

A three-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court also heard that seconds before the killing, Saghawat’s brother Waseem had suffered fatal injuries after being mistakenly shot in the stomach by the weapon.

Saghawat, 47, Omar, 24, and Sageer, 33, claimed they were acting in self-defence during the burglary by raiders in the early hours of February 20 last year. The jury heard that Mr Douglas, 19, was shot while being held on the ground by the men. He died at the scene outside the Ramzans’ home in Dudley, West Midlands.

Waseem Ramzan, 36, died in hospital after the bolt that struck him was removed and hidden near the scene.

The defendants were charged with murdering Mr Douglas after footage was recovered from CCTV cameras set up to protect a cannabis farm from raids.

All three defendants denied any knowledge of the cannabis farm, with Saghawat claiming he feared the burglars were targeting his home containing Cartier and Rolex watches. Opening the Crown’s case last month, prosecutor Adrian Keeling, QC, said the property was being used to grow cannabis worth £225,000 a year.

Telling jurors a rival gang had attacked the rear of the cannabis factory at about 2.30am, Mr Keeling said of Saghawat and Omar: ‘Despite the time of night, these two defendants were immediately aware of the attack.’

The court also heard the men tried to delete CCTV footage of the crime.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro said around a dozen raiders had tried to break into the cannabis factory.

He said: ‘It [the CCTV] clearly shows a sustained, brutal attack [by the defendants], which was one of punishment, in my belief.’

All three defendants were remanded in custody and will face mandatory life terms when they are sentenced on March 12.