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Black Country man found guilty of Golden City gang murder

A Black Country man has been found guilty of murdering a father of four after ramming his car and stabbing him to death as he tried to flee.

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Police at the scene in Lower Gornal where Yasir Hussain, inset, died

Nabeel Choudhary, 21 and from West Bromwich, was part of an armed mob who attacked Yasir Hussain, 34, outside the Golden City takeaway in Lower Gornal on December 4 last year.

Co-accused Akarsh Tasleem, 24, was acquitted of murder.

The jury took less than two hours to reach unanimous verdicts.

Yasir Hussain was the victim of a year long “hate-filled” feud between warring families, the three week trial at Birmingham Crown Court heard.

The West Midlands Police mugshot of Nabeel Choudhary

The victim was said by the prosecution to be a “sitting duck” when the ambush took place.

He ran into the Chinese takeaway in Central Drive bleeding heavily after the attack but collapsed and died soon afterwards.

His cousin Morrad Hussain, the intended target, escaped on foot up an alleyway and raised the alarm.

Residents alerted by the sound of a crash at about 9.45pm saw between seven and 10 men armed with weapons running up the street and piling into an Audi and a Honda Jazz which then drove off.

The scene of the crash at Golden City in Central Drive

Yasir Hussain, from Burnley, was found by paramedics and treated for two knife wounds and a slash injury, thought to have been from a machete.

The fatal strike from a knife was 18cm deep and had pierced his heart.

The feud had seen an escalation in violence between two rival family groups throughout 2018.

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Police had attended reports of criminal damage, gunshot discharges and threats being made.

Choudhary had earlier been involved in an attack, on November 26, when he drove into a separate victim on Shaw Road, and there had been other serious incidents on both sides, the jury heard.

The scene in Central Drive

Choudhary’s DNA had been found on the gear stick of the van which had rammed the victim’s car.

However, no forensic evidence was found against Tasleem and his mobile phone was said to be in use miles from the scene at the time of the murder.

Choudhary, of Hope Street, West Bromwich, was also convicted of attempted grievous bodily harm and dangerous driving on November 26 but found not guilty of possessing an imitation arm with intent.

Tasleem, of Broadway West, Walsall, was also acquitted of possessing a machete. Mr Justice Nicol will sentence Choudhary on Friday.

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