Teenager jailed for life after stabbing 19-year-old to death in Birmingham gang dispute

A teenager who stabbed a 19-year-old to death during a dispute between rival Birmingham street gangs before boasting about the killing on social media has been jailed for life.

Oumar Traore, 18, fatally stabbed Yassin Alama in Hutton Road, Handsworth, in November last year following a dispute involving gangs from Handsworth and Aston.

Traore, who was 17 at the time, was caught on CCTV fleeing to Westminster Road after the attack, where he got into a car driven by his friend Mustafa Ali.

While inside the vehicle, Traore filmed his bloodstained knife and boasted about the attack in social media posts shared with friends.

Ali, 18, then drove him to Gordon Road, where Traore disposed of the murder weapon and his mobile phone. He also arranged for his clothes to be collected and discarded.

Police later recovered the items as part of their investigation.

Traore managed to evade officers for a week with the help of another friend, Oliver Gabbis, who arranged transport and accommodation for him at several locations.

He was eventually tracked down and arrested at an address in Quinton Road, Birmingham, where officers discovered several large knives, including one bearing his fingerprints.

Detectives also uncovered evidence of Traore's gang links and an obsession with knives, including his involvement in buying and selling machetes and zombie knives.

During a police interview, Traore read a prepared statement admitting he had killed Yassin but claimed he had acted in self-defence. He answered no comment to all further questions.

He was found guilty of murder following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court in June.

At the same court on Friday, October 23, Traore was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years before he can be considered for release.

He was also handed a concurrent 20-month sentence for possession of an offensive weapon.

Ali has pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and is awaiting sentencing.

Gabbis, 20, was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on July 3 after admitting perverting the course of justice.

Detective Inspector Michelle Cordell, from West Midlands Police, said: "Sadly, this case highlights the devastating impact of gang violence and knife crime.

"Yassin Alama's life was cut short, through a senseless act of violence. He was just 19 years old.

"Oumar Traore chose to carry a knife that day and he chose to use it to devastating effect.

"In those moments, he must have foreseen a risk of causing at the very least, really serious harm. His actions showed total disregard for human life and his boasting after the murder are despicably chilling.

"My investigation team worked tirelessly to uncover the uncomfortable truth about what happened to Yassin that day and to provide his loved ones with answers.

"We have also been committed to identifying and bringing to justice those who knowingly provided assistance to him in the events after the murder.

"No sentence imposed can ever compensate for the tragic loss of human life, but I hope Yassin's family can find some comfort in knowing that his killer will now face a considerable time behind bars."