Murderous trio who lured rival dealer to death over Sheffield drug turf war jailed for life
A woman and two teenagers were sent to begin life sentences a few moments ago, after being convicted of murdering a man stabbed to death in a Sheffield park.
24-year-old Sacad Ali lost his life in a fatal knife attack carried out at Ponderosa Park in the Netherthorpe area of Sheffield in the early hours of March 9, 2024, despite the best efforts of medics, police and residents who attempted to come to his aid.
Two teenage boys, 18-year-old Barney Griffin and Jack Douglas, aged 17, pleaded guilty to Mr Ali’s murder earlier this year.
A third defendant, Rebecca Moore, denied murdering Mr Ali, but was unanimously convicted of the grave offence in a trial that concluded at Sheffield Crown Court a fortnight ago.
Sending the three killers to begin a life sentence today (Thursday, November 28, 2024), The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, told them: “If ever there was a case that demonstrates the true evils of drug peddling and carrying knives, particularly young people carrying knives, this is it.
“This case demonstrates what can happen when young people get embroiled with drug peddling, and a drug related turf war erupts.”
Judge Richardson jailed Moore, formerly of Springvale Walk, Upperthorpe, Sheffield, for life and fixed her minimum term at 15 years.
Due to their age, Judge Richardson told Griffin and Douglas that while they would, in effect receive a life sentence, it would be referred to as detention at His Majesty’s Pleasure.
Douglas received a minimum term of 15 years, while Griffin received one of 16 years.
Judge Richardson said he regarded the actions, culpability and immaturity of the two males to be ‘almost identical,’ but the seven months’ difference in their age meant they were different chronological ages at the time of the murder, when Douglas was aged 16 and Griffin was 17-years-old.
The statutory starting point for the two males was judged to be six years apart, but Judge Richardson reduced the difference in their sentences to one of just a year, in the interests of ‘fairness,’ and after taking mitigating factors and legal argument into consideration.
In a moving statement read to Sheffield Crown Court during the first part of the sentencing hearing on Monday (November 25, 2024) Mr Ali’s mother, Hani, described the moment she was told of his death as the ‘worst nightmare of every parent’.
“Our lives at that moment changed forever. Our family has been left completely broken-hearted, and nothing can replace him,” Ms Ali said.
Ms Ali described her son as a ‘kind’ and ‘loving’ brother and son, and spoke of the continuing turmoil experienced by his siblings and other loved ones, as they struggle to come to terms with the prospect of a life without him.
Her family only learned of Mr Ali’s involvement with drug dealing in the aftermath of his death, the court heard.
All three defendants were involved with the Frank drug line, which was in operation at the time of Mr Ali’s murder, with Douglas and Griffin acting as dealers, and Moore closely aligned to it through her addiction to crack cocaine, the court heard.
Judge Richardson said the trio ‘hatched’ the plan to cause Mr Ali really serious harm because they believed him to be dealing Class A drugs on their turf, placing the Frank line in jeopardy. Evidence taken from Mr Ali’s mobile phone in the wake of his death revealed that he had been dealing in both Class A and B drugs, the court heard.
The trio’s intention to cause really serious harm evolved into one of murder, however, when the knife attack had fatal consequences, after an artery in Mr Ali’s leg was severed and he could not be saved.
“It must be made clear that even though an individual may intend only to inflict grievous injury on another person – if that other person dies as a consequence – the perpetrator is guilty of murder and faces a life sentence with a long minimum term to be served,” Judge Richardson told the defendants.
Moore ‘lured’ Mr Ali out to Ponderosa Park with the promise of sexual favours and a request to buy drugs, and after he arrived at the agreed upon locations, Douglas and Griffin, of Dixon Drive, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield, emerged out of the shadows, each armed with a large knife.
Mr Ali had also armed himself with a large knife, which was produced during the course of the incident, but quickly began to back away as he realised he was outnumbered ‘two to one,’ the court heard.
Judge Richardson told the males: “Despite pleading for his life, you murdered him.
“You left him there to die; and he bled to death as a consequence of a particularly serious wound to his leg which severed a main artery and vein. There were 16 separate stab-wounds of different types. He was stabbed repeatedly.”
As the fatal attack ensued, Moore watched on from a distance of around 30 meters away, and in incriminating comments subsequently made to prison staff and a fellow inmate, Moore described watching the three males involved in a ‘sword fight’.
While in prison, Moore, aged 25, also said ‘her boys’ had stabbed Mr Ali in the leg, because he should not have been ‘selling on her turf,’ the court has previously been told.
“You were laughing and joking whilst you said this. To one of the officers you stated he had a slash to below the knee into a main artery and he had deserved to bleed to death,” Judge Richardson said.
Referring to the fact Moore was convicted of murder on a joint enterprise basis, Judge Richardson continued: “This case reveals that to be convicted of murder it is not necessary to be the person who executes the attack. Any person who participates in the killing, by way of setting it up or assisting the killer, or killers, providing he or she has the requisite intention, is also guilty of murder.”
The court heard how Griffin and Douglas, formerly of Brightholmlee Lane, Wharncliffe Side, Sheffield, have been friends throughout childhood, and both showed promise as footballers in their younger years.
“Both of you were talented football players as youths. It is a tragedy that you did not continue with the camaraderie and support of that sport,” Judge Richardson told them.
In both cases, Judge Richardson said he was satisfied that each of the males had been ‘exploited’ and groomed into becoming involved with Sheffield’s criminal gangs, and their business of dealing illicit drugs.
He continued: “I am satisfied that the two teenage youths who perpetrated the killing were recruited or corrupted to enter the fetid swamp of drug dealing. They did not set up the drug line. However, once recruited and involved they wallowed in that swamp and had large knives to assist them in their criminal tasks.”
Judge Richardson described Moore as having a ‘pivotal role, not a peripheral one’. He noted, however, that she was not involved in inflicting the fatal violence that cost Mr Ali his life.
The key issue in fixing Moore’s minimum term was a finding of fact on whether she knew her teenage accomplices had brought knives to the scene, Judge Richardson said.
Simon Kealey KC, prosecuting, has previously advised Judge Richardson that should he find Moore did know about, one or both of, the males arming themselves with knives prior to the killing, the statutory starting point for Moore’s minimum term would have been one of 25 years.
He told Moore that while he has a ‘strong suspicion’ she may have known about the weapons brought to the scene, he ‘cannot know for sure’.
“Therefore, I have come to the conclusion – and this may be generous to you – that I cannot be sure you knew of the knives being taken to the scene by the other two.
“I have little doubt you knew of the risk they had knives. Accordingly, my finding of fact must be that you were unaware of the presence of the knives until they were brought out in front of you at the scene,” Judge Richardson told her.
At the time of the killing, Moore was plagued with addictions to both alcohol and drugs, including crack cocaine, and had fallen into sex work as a consequence, the court heard.
In addition, Judge Richardson said he noted Moore had a number of psychological conditions including borderline and emotionally unstable personality disorders, stemming from the ‘very poor upbringing’ she endured as a child.
“These various disorders result in you being impulsive, emotionally unstable and cannot control yourself emotionally or otherwise in anything approaching a normal way. You also have poor compliance with the medical regimen of those trying to help you,” Judge Richardson said.
All three defendants have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). At the time of Mr Ali’s murder, Douglas was not taking his prescribed medication for the condition, and Moore’s was also going ‘untreated,’ the court heard.