Four Men Sentenced to 78 Years After Revenge Ambush and Shooting in Birmingham

Four men have received extended prison sentences totalling 78 years after carrying out a planned revenge ambush in which a man was shot twice and beaten in a Birmingham cul-de-sac.

The 24-year-old victim suffered life-changing injuries after he was lured to Woodnorton Drive in Moseley shortly before 11.30pm on 13 August last year, where a group lying in wait rammed his car before launching the attack.

At Birmingham Crown Court, Abdelhafez Mohammed, 27, Awil Mohammed, 25, Mohammed Aziz, 23, and Humza Tufail, 25, were sentenced after admitting wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to cause violence.

Investigators said the attack stemmed from a grudge held by Tufail, who believed the victim had been involved in a shooting at his home around ten months earlier.

The group enlisted a mutual acquaintance to lure the victim to the secluded cul-de-sac, which they had chosen because it had limited CCTV coverage.

When he arrived, his vehicle was deliberately rammed by a Vauxhall Insignia carrying the four men.

Abdelhafez Mohammed then fired two shots, striking the victim in the chest and leg. As Awil Mohammed opened the driver’s door, Tufail and Aziz assaulted him with weapons including a baseball bat before the group attempted to drag him from the vehicle.

During the attack, one of the men could be heard shouting: “Shoot him in the face.”

The victim survived but spent more than a week in intensive care after a bullet passed through his lung, causing major blood loss. The round remains lodged in his body because it is considered too dangerous to remove.

The attackers fled in a second vehicle after abandoning the Vauxhall Insignia at the scene.

Police recovered significant forensic evidence from the abandoned car, including cartridge cases and live ammunition. A bullet was also found in the driver’s footwell of the victim’s vehicle.

Detectives combined forensic evidence with CCTV enquiries and mobile phone analysis to identify those responsible before arresting all four men.

At an earlier hearing, all four admitted wounding with intent and possessing a firearm with intent to cause violence. Awil Mohammed also admitted two counts of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply.

The court imposed the following extended sentences:

• Awil Mohammed, of Thomas Crescent, Smethwick, received an extended sentence of 21 years, comprising 16 years’ imprisonment followed by a five-year extended licence period.
• Abdelhafez Mohammed, of Bracebridge Road, Erdington, received an extended sentence of 20 years and six months, comprising 15 years and six months’ imprisonment followed by a five-year extended licence period.
• Mohammed Aziz, of Chilcote Close, Hall Green, received an extended sentence of 18 years and six months, comprising 13 years and six months’ imprisonment followed by a five-year extended licence period.
• Humza Tufail, of Mount Close, Moseley, received an extended sentence of 18 years, comprising 13 years’ imprisonment followed by a five-year extended licence period.