Mohammed Usman Mirza's murder: Court sentenced 7 culprits to 128 years imprisonment

Mohammed Usman Mirza, killed by six men in Ilford has finally found justice after court sentenced the culprits to 128 years in jail.

The men attacked Usman in appearance revenge and almost killed another man two months later.

The trial, which lasted for seven-week at the Old Baily on Thursday, 7 July, led to the sentencing on Monday, 14 November.

Tyler Moore, 21, of Lawson Close, Ilford, was convicted of murder and was sentenced to life with a possibility of parole in 20 years.

Two other men were found guilty of manslaughter.

Mooez Bangash, 26, of Gaysham Avenue, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in 14 years, while his accomplice, Jonathan Makengo, 25, of Francis Way, Ilford, was jailed for 16 years in prison.

The same court had in October 2021 convicted three men in a trial that lasted for ten weeks of Usman's murder.

London Beqa, 20, of Windsor Road, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 14 years, and Shariq Khan, 21, of Percy Road, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 25 years. Hassan Riaz, 22, of Hampton Road, Ilford jailed for life to serve a minimum of 24 years.

The last convict, Omari Thompson, 18, of Northbrook Road, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 15 years.

The court lifted the restriction on naming Omari's name in 2021.

Due to Covid restrictions at the time, the defendants' trials were spilt.

The seven defendants will serve a combined total of 128 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen said: "I would firstly like to pay tribute to Usman's family, who has had to endure two trials to see all of these responsible for his murder brought to justice. I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it has been to go through this process twice and hear these harrowing details repeated a second time. I hope that today's verdict can begin to offer some comfort that the men who took Usman's life will rightly pay for their actions.

"While all of these men may have played different roles in what happened to Usman, what was clear to us and the jury was this was a carefully planned attack with Usman as the sole target. Nothing had been left to chance. They were out for revenge for the attack they believed Usman had orchestrated against their friend. In the lead up to the attack, Khan and Bangash maintained an air of friendship with Usman, despite the fact that their loyalties had changed."

Usman's father, Imran Mirza, said:"We will never get over the murder of our son Usman and we miss him every single day. This has been a very long process with two trials, but we are pleased that justice has now been served."

How The Six Men Planned For weeks to murder Usman Mirza

The jury heard that the attack on Usman was well planned, with a series of recces to key locations being carried out in the lead-up to the actual ambush.

Detectives found the phone data belonging to Riaz, which detailed and implicated Khan, Makengo, and More in their roles in selecting the location of the attack site.

Detectives discovered the defendants had used many cars, the majority of which had been stolen in the days before the attack, and each had a defined purpose. Examination of CCTV footage showed these cars numerous times in the area around where Usman was attacked.

Police used CCTV footage, DNA, and mobile phone data to link the defendants to the stolen cars and specific key areas before Usman's murder.

On 19 November 2019, the day of the attack, Usman, also known as Specs to his friends, got into a car with Shariq Khan and was driven to a block of garages in Hurstleigh Gardens in Redbridge – the pre-selected site where the ambush would be carried out.

A second vehicle then entered the garages within moments of Usman's arrival. Usman was attacked in the alleyway between these garages and Owen Waters House. The victim was able to run from the car, but the attackers chased him before collapsing on Fullwell Avenue.

Members of the public called the police at approximately 22:20hrs after they saw a group of men fighting. They reported seeing men with knives attacking Usman, who was calling for help.

Following the attack, witnesses described how the defendants fled the scene in different directions before police arrived.

Police found Usman unresponsive after sustaining multiple stab injuries. He was assisted by members of the public, where a witness reported hearing Usman use the nickname of one of the men who attacked him.

Officers gave first aid until the paramedics and London's Air Ambulance arrived. Despite efforts to save his life, Usman was pronounced dead at 22:53hrs at the scene.

Following a post-mortem examination at Walthamstow Mortuary on 21 November 2019, the cause of death was established as a stab wound to the neck. Usman had also sustained multiple stab wounds across his body.

DCI Kelly Allen added:"This was a sophisticated plan that was clearly some days in the making. They ensured that they had enough stolen vehicles to help them carry out the attack and then attempt to cover their tracks. We also know that the defendants were in and around the area where Usman was killed hours before they launched their attack. There is no doubt that this was a pre-meditated attack.

"CCTV demonstrated they carried out a number of recces to pinpoint where they would carry out each part of their plan, from the attack itself to burn sites and pick up locations. They then all headed before then heading to Swiss Cottage for what we can assume was a debrief after Usman's murder. However, thanks to the bravery of witnesses to come forward and report what they saw and heard, detectives were able to track them down and piece together the events surrounding Usman's death and bring his killers to justice."

An eighth man was found not guilty during the 2021 trial.

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