🔴 TRIO CONVICTED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER IN REVENGE PETROL ATTACK
Five men have been convicted of serious offences following a violent sequence of events in Stoke-on-Trent that culminated in a petrol attack on a family home, leaving a woman and a child with severe burns, after an 11-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court.
Shakil Uddin, 23, of Oldham, was convicted of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. Ali Abbas, 22, and Haris Mahmood, 21, both of Stoke-on-Trent, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life in connection with the same incident. All three men were remanded in custody to await sentence on a date to be fixed.
Lukman Khan, 24, and Riyadh Iqbal, 23, both of Stoke-on-Trent, were convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent in relation to the house attack. Muhammad Sufyaan-Shah, 25, of HMP Hindley, and Tayyeb Majeed, 23, of Stoke-on-Trent, were convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent connected to the same sequence of events.
The court heard that on 16 December 2021 a fight occurred in Kildare Street, Longton, involving several of the defendants, during which one man sustained a stab wound requiring hospital treatment. Later that evening, a group travelled to a house on Beverley Drive, Bentilee, smashed windows and poured petrol inside before setting it alight. A 31-year-old woman sustained burns to 65 per cent of her body and serious internal injuries, while a 13-year-old girl suffered burns to her arm and leg. Both escaped from the property via an upstairs window and were treated in hospital in Birmingham.
Prior to the trial, three men admitted offences arising from the earlier disorder. Naveed Hussain, 32, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of a bladed article in a public place, while Kashif Ahmed, 25, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, both pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Detective Constable Howard Davies of Staffordshire Police said the investigation involved extensive analysis of CCTV, digital material and forensic evidence to establish the role of each individual. He described the case as a detailed and thorough inquiry into a series of connected violent incidents.
All ten men involved in the investigation remain in custody. Sentencing will take place at a later hearing at Nottingham Crown Court, when the court will determine minimum terms for those convicted of the most serious offences.
