Two brothers have been sentenced to prison after a 16-year-old boy who had recently fled war-torn Yemen was killed when a car was driven onto a pavement in Sheffield.
The Incident
Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb was walking along Staniforth Road in Sheffield when an Audi mounted the kerb and struck him, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The driver, 21-year-old Zulkernain Ahmed, had been searching for a group of e-bike riders following a dispute and deliberately drove towards them before hitting the teenager, prosecutors said. He was sentenced to life in prison and must serve a minimum of 30 years.
His brother, Armaan Ahmed, 27, who was in the passenger seat at the time, received a 17-year sentence for manslaughter after the judge increased his minimum term due to aggravating factors.
Victim's Background
Abdullah was 'in the wrong place at the wrong time,' according to prosecutors, becoming the unintended victim of the attack. A victim impact statement from Abdullah's father was read aloud in Sheffield Crown Court. 'Life in Yemen was almost impossible ... I travelled to England in search of safety and a better life,' Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi described, adding that his son was 'an optimistic person who loved life and loved people.'
'He was eager to learn and integrated into the community,' he added. 'He was happy to arrive in a safe country.' The teenager was 'excited' to start college in September 2025, but died shortly after being struck by the car, in hospital. Abdullah was 'both my son and my friend,' his father told the court, adding the loss has 'destroyed the entire family.' 'We are unable to return to our normal lives, and I don't think we ever will,' Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi said.
Court Proceedings
Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald KC told the court that one of the e-bike riders, La'Rome Divers, was the intended target for Zulkernain Ahmed, who had 'driven for a number of miles specifically in order to look for La'Rome Divers with a view to striking La'Rome Divers by using the vehicle as a weapon.' 'This was a revenge attack based on La'Rome Divers' attempts to steal an e-bike,' Mr MacDonald added.
Divers was knocked over a hedge but then refused to make a statement to police, the jury was told. A psychologist's report found Zulkernain's mental health conditions were 'likely to have had a meaningful, but not sole, influence on the commission of the offence.' The court heard how the report adds that the defendant is currently experiencing depression and anxiety and is expressing 'daily thoughts of ending his life.'
Alistair Webster, Zulkernain's barrister, said his client had written a letter to express his apologies. 'I am sorry from the bottom of my heart,' the letter said. 'I regret the actions I took that day, I wish time to turn back. I would change so many things. I am sorry to Abdullah's family, every day I pray for them for things to get better for them. I cry every night knowing it was me. I wish I could make things better.' Ahmed added that he has learnt CPR and chest compressions since being in prison in the hope he can 'make a difference' in future.
