Oumar Traore, an 18-year-old found guilty of murdering 19-year-old Yassin Alama in Handsworth, had his sentencing delayed after it emerged he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following two previous stabbings. The killing occurred on November 16 last year on Hutton Road during a postcode gang war in north Birmingham.
Details of the murder and prior stabbings
The court heard that Traore had been stabbed twice himself, most recently in September, just three months before he killed Mr Alama. Defending barrister Gurdeep Garcha KC told Birmingham Crown Court that assessments at HMP Werrington Young Offenders Institution revealed Traore was suffering from PTSD. He said: 'The conclusion was he was suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder based on the incidents of stabbing the court is familiar with.'
Sentencing adjourned for psychiatric reports
Judge Heidi Kubik KC agreed to adjourn sentencing for several weeks to allow for pre-sentence and psychiatric reports to be prepared. Traore faces a mandatory life sentence with a starting point of 23 years before aggravating and mitigating factors are considered.
