A YARDLEY man has been jailed for life for the murder of a teenager who was stabbed to death moments after getting out of his car during rush hour.
Abdirahaman Yussuf, 20, of Hob Moor Road in Yardley, was found guilty at Birmingham Crown Court and will serve a minimum of 22 years before being able to apply for parole.
His victim, Yahya Sharif, had pulled on to the pavement on Coventry Road in Small Heath when he was ambushed at around 5.20pm in December 2021.
The 18-year-old was stabbed once in the chest and managed to run away but quickly collapsed and then died at the scene.
West Midlands Police said CCTV captured Yussuf with a group chatting nearby in the moments before he headed towards the victim’s BMW when he pulled up.
A murder investigation was launched and officers recovered the knife and discarded clothing from a street nearby.
Following a public appeal, Yussuf was arrested in London last February.
West Midlands Police said officers found an envelope hidden in Yussuf’s sock with handwritten rap lyrics apparently referencing the stabbing.
Before sentencing, the court heard personal statements from Yahya’s parents.
His father said: “I feel pain when I see boys the same age as my son going out, driving a car, going to school, working, talking about university and walking with their fathers. Yahya was a bright boy with a great future ahead of him.
”All his teachers loved him. From a young age he was driven and doing good within our community.”
His mother said: “There are many times I have not been able to sit in court because of flashbacks from the day my son died. I still don’t know why my son was killed. Saying sorry will not bring my child back. I can never move on, my life is destroyed.
“My son should still be alive and I miss him every single day. Yahya meant the world to me and I dreamed of seeing him getting married and meeting my future grandchildren. All of this has been taken away from me and his brothers and sisters.”
