Jury sworn in for trial of nine accused of plotting to kill Dudley taxi boss
The jury has been sworn in in the trial of nine men accused of plotting to murder a Dudley taxi manager.
Mohammed Haroon Zeb was fatally injured in a drive-by shooting, in Queens Cross, on his 39th birthday on January 31 this year. He died in hospital from his injuries the following day.
Hassan Tasleem, 23, of Richmond Road; Choudhary Naheim Rashid, 47, of Kingswinford Road; Gurdeep Sandhu, 23; Umar Ali, 20, both of Blowers Green Road; Akarsh Tasleem, 25, of Shaw Road; Choudhary Akeel Hussain, 21, of Brook Street; Mohamad Umar Rafiq, 19, of Gammage Street; Shamraz Ali, 19, of Tanfield Road; all Dudley, are charged with conspiracy to murder.
Tasleem, Rashid, Sandhu and Umar Ali are also charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
Sanna Iqbal, 27, of Hordern Road, Wolverhampton, is charged with assisting an offender.
All deny the allegations.
The judge Mr Justice Soole told the jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court that the case will be opened on Monday.
Following his death Mr Zeb's family, also members of Dudley Central Mosque, said: “Haroon a beautiful son, brother, father, a real icon to this world. He eased the burdens of everyone he knew and his beautiful smile lit up every room he walked in.
“We mourn the loss of our hero who will be dearly missed. Forever in our hearts rest peacefully Haroon. We will love and miss you forever and your memories will be engraved in our hearts always. RIP Haroon.”
Tributes were also paid by Jamia Anwar-ul-Quran Education Centre, Lye, and the Netherton Islamic Trust.
West Midlands Police homicide team appealed for dash cam footage as the investigation got underway.
