Four men who disguised themselves in burkhas before carrying out a five-minute revenge raid that resulted in the fatal stabbing and shooting of two rappers have been sentenced to life imprisonment for their murders.
Saydi Abu Sheikh, 23, and Zakariya Jeilani Mohamed, 31, were left dead or dying in a bedroom during the savage attack inside a residence in Ilford, east London, last October. Saydi had suffered 28 stab wounds and was shot four times, while Zakariya was stabbed five times and shot at least seven times. Survivor Khalid Khalid was shot six times, with one bullet entering the side of his face, passing through his head and exiting beside his mouth, causing damage to parts of the skull, his brain, and his teeth.
During the trial, prosecutor John Price KC revealed that a resident had called 999 just after midnight after hearing a bang and seeing a car on fire. Police and paramedics arrived at the address a few minutes later, discovering 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.
[data-ps-embed-type=slideshow] > iframe {position: absolute;top: 0;left: 0;} _psEmbed(“https://uknip.photoshelter.com”);Though he sustained a gunshot wound that had passed through his head, he was to survive. It was later discovered that a fourth man had run from the back of the house when a group of attackers armed with guns had forced their way in.
“A fifth man was even more fortunate. Before the gunmen were able to force their way into the room, he had concealed himself between a bed and the wall. Almost miraculously, his presence there went undetected by the gunmen.”
The attackers had donned burkas to conceal their identities when they set off for the attack from a “mission control” flat a couple of miles away. Another defendant, Zain Mirza, had “procured” the murders in revenge for the killing of his brother in 2019. Despite being in prison for a drugs offence, he put his plan into action after his release while remaining at “arm’s length.”
Saydi, known as Giddy, and Zakariya, who used the name Shifty, were part of a group known as Drillford. The attackers were caught on CCTV cameras outside the property, according to jurors at the Old Bailey.
Today, the four men have been sentenced to a total of 38 years behind bars for the “unspeakable act of extreme violence” that led to the deaths of Saydi Abu Sheikh and Zakariya Jeilani Mohamed.
