Driver guilty of murdering teenage pedestrian

A driver who killed a 16-year-old boy when he mounted the pavement and hit him with his car has been found guilty of murder.

Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb died when he was struck by an Audi driven by 21-year-old Zulkernain Ahmed in Sheffield on 4 June.

Prosecutors said Ahmed had been deliberately targeting a group of three riders in Staniforth Road - two on e-bikes and one on a moped - when he ploughed into Abdullah, who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Zulkernain Ahmed's brother Armaan Ahmed, 27, was found guilty of manslaughter and Adam Mohammed, 30, was cleared of all charges following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Both were passengers in the car.

The prosecution told the jury Ahmed had used the car as a "weapon", targeting one of the riders following a dispute over e-bikes.

Jurors were shown graphic video footage of how Ahmed's car moved to the wrong side of Staniforth Road, in the Darnall area of Sheffield, as he targeted one of a group of e-bikes and mopeds.

One of the riders, La'Rome Divers, was knocked over a hedge but refused to make a statement to police.

The car then continued forward and hit the teenager, who was seen throwing and catching a water bottle as he walked along the pavement.

Alistair MacDonald KC, prosecuting, said the car was "deliberately steered onto the wrong side of the road and into the path of the cyclists".

Abdullah had been "in the wrong place at the wrong time", he added.

In a statement, the teenager's family described him as an "innocent boy".

"[He] had recently arrived from Yemen, full of hope for a safe, peaceful and productive life in England, when he was taken from us as a result of an ongoing feud that was nothing to do with him," they said.

"We are devastated by our loss, but our faith gives us strength and we welcome the guilty verdict."

They thanked the "good people of Darnall", witnesses, police and prosecution for supporting them through the "unimaginable loss".

Det Ch Insp Ben Wood, senior investigator on the case, described the driver's actions as "utterly unacceptable".

"[They have] left Abdullah's family facing the devastating reality that they will never see their son again," he said.

"Their loss is immeasurable, and no verdict can ever undo the pain they continue to endure."

Zulkernain Ahmed was also found guilty of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, and one count of attempting to cause GBH with intent.

Armaan Ahmed, who had been in the back of the car, was cleared of causing GBH with intent, but convicted of an alternative charge of wounding.

They were both arrested in Dover while appearing to be making their way to Turkey, the court heard.

Another Ahmed brother, Zain, had been the front seat passenger, but police have not been able to trace him.

Mohammed, who had been in the back of the car, was acquitted of all charges against him including murder, attempted murder, and causing GBH.

The Judge Mrs Justice Tipples said it had been a "terrible case" and thanked the jury for their hard work and diligence.

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