Oliwier Gabis, a 20-year-old Birmingham gang member, has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison at Birmingham Crown Court for perverting the course of justice. He admitted helping fellow B20 gangster Oumar Traore evade police after Traore murdered 19-year-old Yassin Alama with a zombie knife in Handsworth.
Details of the Offence
Gabis, from Handsworth, booked Ubers and arranged safe houses for Traore following the brutal killing. The murder was part of a street war between gangs controlling postcode territories in north Birmingham. Gabis, who had aspirations to become a football coach before becoming entrenched in gang culture, had multiple previous convictions for possessing knives. One judge previously described him as 'obsessed' with machete-type weapons.
Motivation and Court Proceedings
The murder stemmed from tensions after Mr Alama's 14-year-old brother mocked the deaths of B20 gangsters on Snapchat, including Traore's cousin Sekou Doucoure. Tim Hannam KC, prosecuting, stated: "Mr Gabis, as a result, took over arrangements for Mr Traore's onward transport and accommodation in order to prevent his arrest for murder."
Desecration of Memorial
After helping Traore hide across Birmingham locations including Moseley and Bordesley Green, Gabis posted shocking videos on social media destroying Mr Alama's memorial on Hutton Road. In one video, he kicked flowers and candles, captioning it: "Not on my block. Can't be doing no dead n***** memorial around here are you mad?"
Sentencing Remarks
Judge Heidi Kubik KC stated that Gabis's offending was motivated by "a desire to assist a fellow gang member evade justice for the murder of somebody associated with a rival gang." She noted his significant history of knife offences despite acknowledging he had a 'better side' to his character.
