Jurors to resume deliberations in trial of three Sheffield men accused of murder

Jurors in the trial of three men accused of murder are to resume their deliberations today.
Aseel Al-EssaieAseel Al-Essaie
Aseel Al-Essaie

The jury began its deliberations on Thursday as the trial of Matthew Cohen, aged 29, Dale Gordon, 33 and Keil Bryan, 32 approached the end of its seventh week.

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The three men are accused of the murder of 23-year-old Aseel Al-Essaie, who was killed in a drive-by shooting as he sat in a car on Daniel Hill, Upperthorpe, on February 18, last year.

It is alleged that the trio killed Mr Al-Essaie as part of a 'joint enterprise' and were all present in a VW Golf from which the gun which killed him was fired.

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Cohen, of Bramwell Close, Netherthorpe, has admitted that he was driving the Golf but claimed his front seat passenger, who he refused to name, was the killer.

He said neither he nor the back seat passenger had any idea that the murder was going to take place.

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Gordon, of Mather Road, Darnall and Bryan, of Brackley Street, Burngreave, both deny murdering Mr Al-Essaie and claim they were not the passengers in Cohen’s car at the time of the shooting.

James Good, 32, of Velocity Towers, St Mary’s Gate, who is charged with perverting the course of justice, relating to the destruction of Cohen’s VW Golf in the hours following Mr Al-Essaie’s murder, has pleaded guilty to the offence.

Cohen has also also admitted involvement in the destruction of the vehicle and pleaded guilty to the same offence earlier in the trial.