Knife-wielding rival gang members who clashed in a vicious daytime street brawl have been locked up for almost 13 years. ‘Gang warfare’ quickly erupted outside a row of shops in the Black Country when two groups of thugs came to blows in a horrifying fracas.
Members of the public were left terrified as the foes battled with knives, in a riot which came just a week after a connected drive-by shooting. Now, five gang members have been locked up over the street fight.
It comes as a judge blasted armed criminals for ‘settling their differences’ in public as he called for an end to rising knife crime. Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how Mohammed Adham, Mohammed Junaid and Adham Khan travelled to Stony Lane, Smethwick, in an Audi Q7 on June 23, 2021.
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The trio wanted to ‘confront’ brothers Isaac and Hassan Zeb so Khan and Junaid left the vehicle and approached the siblings. Isaac then pulled out a ‘large Rambo knife’ and began fighting with Khan, prosecutor Philip Beardwell said.
Hassan brandished a similar knife to his brother’s, while Junaid was also spotted with a small blade. Adham then arrived at the scene of the melee and joined the violence, which unfolded outside a row of shops during the afternoon.
Footage from CCTV cameras captured Junaid making ‘stabbing motions’ towards the brothers. The court heard how Adham managed to disarm Hassan before repeatedly kicking and stamping on him.
Adham, Junaid and Khan then fled and retreated to the Audi, sparking a police pursuit. Two knives, belonging to the Zeb brothers, were said to have been chucked from the car, along with Zunaid’s weapon.
The Audi was eventually stopped near Apollo Road and Victoria Road, the court heard on Thursday, June 15. Police then realised Adham had been injured in the brawl, with an officer spotting slash-type wounds to his hands.
Isaac also suffered wounds to his back and abdomen, while his brother had injuries to his back and cuts to his hand. Both needed hospital treatment.
The court heard how there had been a drive-by shooting at the home of the Zeb brothers – both of Hugh Road, Smethwick – just a week before the street brawl. The siblings ‘expected confrontation’ following the shooting and so armed themselves with knives.
Adham, Junaid and Khan admitted violent disorder, while Junaid admitted a further charge of possession of a bladed article. Both Zeb brothers were convicted of violent disorder and possession of a bladed article following a trial.
Judge Michael Chambers KC told the court how he was so concerned over the rise of knife crime he ordered Superintendent Gareth Morris, of West Midlands Police, to write to him about it. The judge said: “This was an extremely serious and worrying incident.
“This has all the hallmarks of gang-related crime. It’s my experience sitting in this court that in [the Black Country], there is an extremely high degree of knife crime.
“We can’t have in [the Black Country] rival gangs settling their differences with Rambo knives in front of a row of shops. We can’t have knife crime at this level and of this nature.
“We can’t have gang warfare on the streets of Smethwick.” Adham was jailed for 27 months, Junaid was jailed for 23 months, Khan was jailed for 32 months, while the Zeb brothers were both jailed for three years.
Sentencing, the judge added: “This is yet another incident in a public place in the area of the city of Wolverhampton and surrounding towns where there has been a serious incident in which young men armed with knives have confronted each other, acting as if there were no regard for members of the public.
“This behaviour is not acceptable, it is prevalent, it must stop. It must have been terrifying for members of the public.”
Mr Mann, defending Adham, said the incident was ‘short-lived’. The 23-year-old, of Bloxcidge Street, Oldbury, – who had previous convictions for aggravated burglary, theft and criminal damage – has since showed ‘genuine remorse and shame’, he added.
Miss Djan, defending Junaid, said the 19-year-old’s learning difficulties contributed to his ‘poor decision making’ on the day of the incident. Junaid, of St Paul’s Road, Smethwick – who had no previous convictions – acted ‘out of character’.
Mr Jackson, defending Khan, of Sabell Road Smethwick, said the 22-year-old has now ‘grown up’ and accepted responsibility for his actions. Mr Perry, defending Isaac Zeb, said the 24-year-old – who had unrelated previous convictions – comes from a ‘very supportive family’.
Miss Bhatti, defending Hassan Zeb, described the disorder as an ‘isolated incident’ and said the 23-year-old had no previous convictions.
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