Man accused of botched cannabis raid in which two men died tells jury his actions were 'foolish'

Violence broke out after the alleged raiders turned up at 94 Pensnett Road, in Dudley, in a bid to steal the plants being grown inside on February 20, 2020.

Plant owners Saghawat Ramzan and his son Omar used crossbows to confront the raiders, while his brother Waseem Ramzan and friend Mohammed Sageer, came to help.

In the ensuing violence Khuzaimah Douglas, 19, and Saghawat Ramzan's own brother Waseem Ramzan, 36, were killed.

Giving evidence on the witness stand, defendant Hisham Lewis said he was was in the group who smashed a front window to get out of the house after running into trouble. He said he was not carrying any weapons and that he did not see others in his party carrying any weapons at the scene.

Lewis described what he saw happen to his friend, Khuzaimah Douglas.

"I had never seen anything like that in my life. I didn't feel able to help him. The man was aiming and shooting all over the place," he said.

Defence barrister Mr Kevin Metzger asked him why he refrained from telling his own family about the incident.

Lewis replied: "I knew they'd be disappointed. I was embarrassed and also due to what happened to Khuzaimah. It's due to stupidity that he died.

"Those were not things that me or him would do normally. We would never get involved in anything like that. Since that day I have been trying to work out why. All I can say is that I was young and foolish."

Micah Evans, aged 23, of Foster Avenue, in Bilston; Billal Akram, aged 28, of Buffrey Road, in Dudley; Hisham Lewis, aged 24, of Grove Avenue, in Selly Oak; Ammaid Said, aged 26, of Edward Road, Balsall Heath; Amir Nasiri, aged 25, of Boyne Road, in Garretts Green; and Kadeem Palmer, aged 22, of Stanford Road, in Handsworth, all Birmingham are charged with aggravated burglary on February 20, 2020, at Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill.

Following a separate trial in 2021 Saghawat Ramzan, aged 49, was sentenced to a minimum term of 33 years for the murder of Khuzaimah Douglas, 19, and his own brother Waseem Ramzan, 36.

Omar Ramzan, 26, was jailed for 22 years for the murder of Mr Douglas and the manslaughter of Waseem, and Mohammed Sageer, 35, was jailed for 20 years.

In the latest trial all the defendants except Palmer are also charged with aggravated burglary of another cannabis factory in Palfrey, Walsall hours earlier.

They all deny the charges.

The trial continues.