Seven men have been jailed for the death of a man in apparent retaliation for an attempted murder.
Mohammed Usman Mirza was ambushed and stabbed in a “carefully planned attack” in an alleyway outside Owen Waters House in Fulwell Avenue, Clayhall, at about 10pm on November 19, 2019.
Police said that "nothing had been left to chance" and the killers were out for revenge for an attack they believed Usman had orchestrated against their friend. Two men involved in the plan even pretended to remain friends with Usman.
READ MORE: Mohammed Usman Mirza: Five guilty of murdering teen in revenge attack
On the day of the attack, Usman, known as Speccs to his friends, got into a car with Shariq Khan and was driven to a block of garages in Hurstleigh Gardens in Redbridge – the 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. He was able to run from the car but he was chased before collapsing on Fullwell Avenue.
Members of the public called police at approximately 10.20pm 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. Usman was assisted by members of the public, and a witness reported hearing Usman use the nickname of one of the men who attacked him.
READ MORE: Clayhall murder: Detectives name 19-year-old who was fatally stabbed outside block of flats
Officers gave first aid until the paramedics and London’s Air Ambulance arrived on scene. Despite efforts to save his life, Usman was pronounced dead at 10.53pm at the scene.
A post-mortem examination found he died from a stab wound to the neck. He had also sustained multiple stab wounds across his body.
The jury heard that the attack on Usman was well planned, with key locations visited before the actual ambush.
READ MORE: Five additional men charged with murder of Mohammed Mirza in Clayhall
Detectives discovered phone data belonging to Riaz, Khan, Makengo and Moore which implicated each of them in selecting the location of the attack site.
Detectives discovered the defendants had used a number of cars, the majority of which had been stolen in the days prior to the attack.
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 prior to Usman’s murder.
Because of Covid restrictions, two trials were held.
Tyler Moore, 21, of Lawson Close, Ilford, was convicted of murder on July 7 following a seven-week trial at the Old Bailey.
On Monday, 14 November he was sentenced at the same court to life, and will serve a minimum term of 20 years.
Two other men were found guilty of manslaughter.
Jonathan Makengo, 25, of Francis Way, Ilford, was sentenced to 16 years in prison.
This follows an earlier 10-week trial that concluded in October 2021 and saw three men all convicted of Usman’s murder.
London Beqa, 20, of Windsor Road, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 14 years.
And Hassan Riaz, 22, of Hampton Road, Ilford, was sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve a minimum of 24 years.
During the latter trial, restrictions around naming the 18-year-old found guilty of murder during the 2021 trial were lifted.
He can now be named as Omari Thompson, of Northbrook Road, Ilford, who was also sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum 15 years.
An eighth man was found not guilty during the 2021 trial.
Detective Chief Inspector Kelly Allen said: “I would firstly like to pay tribute to Usman’s family who have 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."
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.”
DCI Kelly Allen added: “This was a sophisticated plan that was clearly some days in the making. They ensured that 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.
"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.”
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