Highgate murder: 5 men convicted for shooting

Five men have been convicted of murdering Abdul Rahman Abubaker who was shot while leaving a barbecue to mark the start of Ramadan in Highgate in May 2018

The 24 year-old dessert shop boss suffered serious injuries after being shot while driving a quad in Stratford Place.

He died within hours of arriving at hospital.

Three cars in a convoy had pulled up shortly beforehand and the fatal gunshot was fired from one of them.

All the vehicles immediately fled - and within 72 hours two had been set alight and destroyed to try and ruin evidence, while the third had disappeared without further trace.

Homicide detectives launched a lengthy investigation to establish who was behind the 24-year-old’s killing.

This culminated in the arrests of Fahmi Daahir, Mustafa Omar, Abdirahman Dirie, Shire Elmi and Abdirahman Yusuf in August last year.

All denied murder but were convicted following the trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Daahir, aged 23, of Finstall Close, Nechells; Omar (21) of Hazlebeech Road, Alum Rock; Yusuf (23) of Albert Road, Aston; Elmi (23) of Cogan Street, Glasgow and Dirie (21) of Geach Street, Newtown, were remanded ahead of sentencing that will happen at a later date.

Elmi was tracked down in Glasgow while Yusuf was arrested at a London airport after coming back from Sweden where he’d fled less than a month after the murder. The other three were detained within Birmingham.

How did detectives track down the killers?

Detectives checked more than 100 CCTV cameras for evidence.

This helped them to establish that four cars - of which three were stolen – had initially met in Hams Road, Alum Rock, prior to the killing.

One car was abandoned but another, a VW Passat, was sent out on several trips to scour the area near the barbecue which was being held to mark the start of Ramadan.

A stolen Ford Kuga – part of the convoy from which the fatal shot was fired - was taken back to Hams Road and set alight within six minutes of the shooting.

Enquiries established a taxi was ordered to pick up a group further down the road shortly afterwards; and an examination of the Kuga found shotgun cartridges along with the remnants of a fuel container in the burnt out shell.

CCTV showed Omar as part of a group which had brought a petrol can to Hams Road and he was seen returning to the location a day after the killing to collect a top that had been discarded. A glove found nearby contained the DNA of Dirie.

Another vehicle in the convoy – an Audi A3 - was discovered in Arley Road, Alum Rock, after being set alight three days after the killing. Daahir’s sock was found in the car and he, along with Yusuf admitted arson ahead of the trial.

Cell site records established telephone communication involving members of the group and we were able to confirm some of their movements that evening, including Daahir and Yusuf being within a vehicle which was in the convoy that evening and Elmi and Omar being in Hams Road where the Kuga was destroyed.

What do West Midlands Police say about the investigation?

Superintendent Edward Foster, who led the investigation, said: "This has been a complex investigation during which Abdul, along with his family and friends, have been at the forefront of our minds.

"We will never probably never know the reason behind this tragic killing and who actually fired the fatal shot. Undoubtedly, there were others who were part of this horrific attack but whose identities remain unknown.

“But it’s clear this was the culmination of careful planning which involved all five of these men who have been convicted today.

"They helped destroy or conceal cars while two fled the country in their attempt to avoid being caught. However, due to the diligence, dedication and expertise of our officers and staff we ensured this wasn’t the case.

“Each of them played a role in causing, or assisting, the tragic murder of Abdul and they will now rightly spend considerable time behind bars."

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