A HOBS MOAT man and eight others have been have been sentenced over their parts in a mass brawl where a Syrian refugee studying in Solihull was killed.
Trouble flared in Moseley Street, Birmingham, at 3.30am on December 17, 2016 when a group of Asian and Somali men attacked each other with metal bars, sticks and knives.
Ibrahim Ismail − a Syrian national living in Birmingham − was stabbed in the chest and back in the fight and was pronouned dead in an ambulance on the way to hospital.
No-one has been arrested over 23-year-old Mr Ismail’s death.
The catalyst when Rebaz Kamal and his wife Shabana Bibi were driving home along Birchall Street after a night out at the Emperor shisha lounge.
Bibi (32) encountered a group of Somalian men in the street near Raxo shisha lounge and claimed one approached the car shouting abuse before hitting Kamal through the open passenger window.
They went back to the Emperor lounge and a group of armed men emerged.
CCTV shows Kamal, 32 from Westminster Crescent, Handsworth, take a weapon from Bibi’s car and beckon his brother Shabaz Kamal plus Abderahman Chouiab, Awaas Aftab, Abdullah Alshameri, Andam Rasol, Tabean Abdullah and Ibrahim Ismail into Moseley Street.
The fight took place for little more than a minute − but as the crowd dispersed Ibrahim Ismail remained slumped in the street being comforted by 24-year-old Shabaz Kamal.
Alshameri (21) from Churchill Road, Handsworth, and 20-year-old Abdullah from Stoney Lane, Sparkbrook, were driven away by Bibi while others return to the Emperor lounge.
Club manager Adam Ijaz (25) from Burnham Road, Great Barr, deleted CCTV from the security system hard-drive and told officers he couldn’t access the footage as he’d lost the password.
However, the footage was forensically recovered by West Midlands Police. It shows the group arming themselves before leaving the venue and Aftab (24) from Hobs Moat Road, Solihull, later re-enacting his actions in the fight.
The Kamals, Alshameri, Abdullah, Aftab, Chouiab (25) from Kitts Green Road, Lea Hall, and 24-year-old Rasol from Queens Head Road, Handsworth, all admitted violent disorder, while Ijaz admitted perverting the course of justice.
Rebaz Kamal, Aftab and Abdullah also admitted possessing offensive weapons.
Bibi from Station Road, Witton, denied two counts of assisting an offender and violent disorder, arguing that she stayed in her Honda Accord throughout the violence.
Birmingham Crown Court concluded she had played an active part in the attack and found her guilty of violent disorder and two counts of assisting offenders.
Ringleader Rebaz Kamal was jailed for two years for his role in instigating the trouble, while the eight other defendants all received suspended jail terms.
Shebaz Kamal, Chouiab, Aftab, Abdullah, Alshameri, Rasol and Ijaz were all given 18 month sentences suspended for 21 months and ordered to carry out 100 hours of unpaid work.
Bibi was given a 20 month term also suspended for 21 months.
Detective Inspector Caroline Corfield, who is leading the murder investigation, said: “Ibrahim’s family have welcomed these convictions but this is still very much a live investigation into Ibrahim’s murder.
“We’ve arrested a total of 23 people during the course of this investigation and voluntarily interviewed others.
“We are working closely with CPS to consider charging other people we suspect played a role in the violence.
“We know we have not traced everyone who was in Moseley Street that night and I would ask anyone who was there to get in touch; they could hold valuable information and I hope those people can find it in their hearts to come forward to help us seek justice for Ibrahim’s family.”
Anyone with information should call West Midlands Police on 101 or LiveChat between 8am and midnight via west-midlands.pnn.police.uk
Information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.
