Killers who disguised themselves in burkhas as they plotted revenge murder of two rappers are facing life in jail
- Rappers were gunned down in a house in Ilford, east London on 25 October 2022
Four killers who disguised themselves in women's burkhas as they plotted the revenge murder of two rappers are facing life in jail.
Saydi Abu Sheikh, 23, and Zakariya Mohamed, 31, were gunned down in a house in Ilford, east London, in a 'scene of bloody carnage' in the early hours of 25 October 2022.
A third man, Khalid Khalid, who was shot six times including through the head, survived along with another man who escaped with a wound to the shoulder and a fifth man who hid between a bed and a wall.
The attackers were caught on CCTV cameras outside the property, jurors at the Old Bailey heard.
Zain Mirza, 21, ordered the hit in revenge after his brother had been stabbed to death three years earlier.
They had donned burkas to hide their identities when they set off for the attack from a 'mission control' flat a couple of miles away.
Saydi Abu Sheikh, 23, (pictured) and Zakariya Mohamed, 31, were gunned down in a house in Ilford, east London , in a 'scene of bloody carnage' in the early hours of 25 October 2022
Police guard a cordon in Henley Road, Ilford after the fatal shooting where two were killed
Mirza along with Chibiuke Ohanweh, 21, Ayaani Ali Adan, 20, and Mahad Gouled, 22, were convicted of two counts of murder and two of attempted murder after 40 hours and 41 minutes of deliberation.
Zakarie Mohamed, 19, was cleared of the two murders and attempted murders.
He admitted assisting the killers by helping to set fire to a white Mitsubishi Outlander SUV where pieces of burned burkhas were found.
They had intended their tracksuits to be destroyed but they survived the flames and were later found to contain the killer's DNA.
The Recorder of London, Judge Mark Lucraft, KC, will sentence them on 23 February.
Prosecutor John Price, KC, earlier told the jury: 'Starting at 00.04 residents in Henley Road were disturbed in their homes.
'It began with the sound of what some thought might be fireworks going off. But it was not the sound of fireworks. It was the sound of guns being discharged.
'A few minutes later, police officers and paramedics arrived in Henley Road and within the house at Number 44 was found a scene of bloody carnage.
'In an upstairs room were two young men, both dead or dying. They had each been shot and stabbed many times.
'A third young man, gravely wounded, had been left for dead. Though he sustained a gunshot wound which had passed through his head, he was to survive.'
Four men were seen on CCTV arriving at the scene at three minutes past midnight before leaving at six minutes past and driving away in the SUV.
The sound of seven gunshots were recorded on a camera at a nearby house.
Minutes later residents of Ronnie Lane heard a loud explosion and looked out to see a car on fire in the middle of the road.
The fire brigade attended and extinguished the fire and found a small pile of clothes in the rear seats which survived the flames.
One of the victims
Prosecutor Price said: 'It was obvious what had happened in Ronnie Lane and why it was done.
'The four killers had each discarded the outer layers of upper and lower clothing they had been wearing when in Henley Road.
'It was all placed in the back of the SUV. Using an accelerant, which was probably petrol- given the fire began with an explosion and the nature of the aroma detected, they then torched the vehicle.
'Clearly their intention had been to destroy, not only the vehicle, but also the outer layers of clothing they were each wearing when committing murder.
'The ultimate aim was to destroy any evidence which might connect them to their dreadful deeds.
'In that, they failed. Preserved and later meticulously examined in the laboratory, items of the clothing and other fabric items found in the SUV were to yield scientific evidence which, it is submitted, helps to prove the identities of the four men who carried out that murderous attack.'
Saydi Sheikh was stabbed 28 times and shot four times, while Zakariya Mohamed was stabbed five times and shot seven times.
Mr Khalid was shot six times but survived.
'A bullet entered the upper left side of his face just above and in front of the ear.
'It then passed through his head on a downward trajectory and exited just to the right of his mouth. As it passed through his head, it caused damage to parts of the skull, his brain, and his teeth.
'He was shot twice in the right buttock and twice in the front of the upper right leg causing a comminuted fracture of the femur.
'A further bullet had passed through his right foot, causing a comminuted fracture of one of its many small bones, called the talus.'
Found in the rear of the burned SUV were four hoodies and four pairs of tracksuit bottoms and a piece of thin black cloth from a burqa.
Tall individuals wearing burqas were seen on CCTV entering and leaving an address suspected to have been used by the defendants in the days leading up to the murder.
Ohanweh has previous convictions for possession of crack, heroine and weapons.
On 20 June 2022 he received a six month training order for possession of a bladed article and was on license for that offence at the time of this incident.
On 4 October 2022 he cut off his tag and was on the run until his arrest.
Ohanweh, of Heath Park Road, Romford, Mirza, of Third Avenue, Newham and Gouled, of Charles Street, Enfield, and Adan, of East Street, Barking, were convicted of two counts of murder and two of attempted murder.
Ohanweh, Mirza, Adan and Gouled were convicted of perverting the course of justice while Mohamed admitted it.
They will be sentenced on 23 February.
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