Dad reveals tragic teen killed on streets of Sheffield came to city to be safe from war, gangs and weapons
He came to Sheffield to be safe
The heartbroken dad of a 16-year-old killed by a driver using a car as a weapon has revealed the teenager came to Sheffield to be safe.
Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb had fled war-torn Yemen just two months before he was run down and killed on Staniforth Road, Darnall.
The two brothers responsible for killing him will today be sentenced.
Brothers Zulkernain and Armaan Ahmed, were inside the car which was being driven directly towards a group of e-bike and moped riders when Abdullah was hit,
As the Audi moved towards the group, it mounted the pavement and struck the teen as he walked along the street.
Abdullah, described as “tragically being in the wrong place at the wrong time”.
In February, jurors convicted the driver of the vehicle, Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, of Abdullah’s murder, while his brother Armaan, 27, was convicted of Abdullah’s manslaughter.
The brothers, both of Locke Drive, Darnall, Sheffield, are set to be sentenced at Sheffield Crown Court this morning, exactly a year on from Abdullah’s tragic death.
A victim impact statement from Abdullah’s dad, Yaser, has been read out at court today.
He said: “Life in Yemen was almost impossible. War, gangs and individuals carrying weapons.
“I travelled to England in search of safety and a better life for me and my family.
“Abdulllah had only recently arrived in England two months earlier.
“He was an optimistic person who loved life and loved people. He was eager to learn and integrate into the community.
“He was happy to arrive in a safer country.
“He was responsible for his mothers and his sisters. The family relied on him for everything.
“He was always smiling, quick to learn and loved by everyone.
“He was excited to start college in September, and had an interview in 10 days [after the date of his death] to assess his intellectual level.
“He was the pillar of the family…his death was a devastating blow to all of the family members. Particularly because it was completely unexpected, he was not ill.
“Just thinking this incident could have been prevented is extremely painful.
“This criminal incident has destroyed the entire family. We are unable to return to our normal lives, and I don’t think we ever will.”
He added: "Some of the videos show they saw Abdullah twice after hitting him, they did not stop to help him."