A motorist who turned his Audi into a “weapon” in a sickening pavement attack that killed a 16‑year‑old boy has been jailed for life.
Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, mounted the kerb as he chased e‑bike riders in Sheffield, striking and killing Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb, a teenager who had recently fled war‑torn Yemen for safety in Britain, the court heard.
Ahmed was handed a life sentence and ordered to serve a minimum of 30 years while his elder brother, 27‑year‑old Armaan Ahmed, who was travelling in the passenger seat, was sentenced to 17 years for manslaughter after the judge imposed an additional two years for aggravating factors, the Mirror reports.
He must serve two‑thirds of the term before he can be considered for release. The Audi struck Abdullah as he walked along the Staniforth Road pavement on June 4 last year. His killer had been targeting a group of three riders over a dispute related to e-bikes, the court was told.
Abdullah was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” according to prosecutors, becoming the unintended victim of the attack. A victim impact statement from Abdullah’s father was read aloud in Sheffield Crown Court.
“Life in Yemen was almost impossible […] I travelled to England in search of safety and a better life,” Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi described, adding that his son was “an optimistic person who loved life and loved people.
View 4 ImagesProsecutors said Zulkernain used his Audi as ‘weapon’ in the attack(Image: South Yorkshire Police)
“He was eager to learn and integrated into the community,” he added. “He was happy to arrive in a safe country.”
The teenager was “excited” to start college in September 2025, but died shortly after being struck by the car, in hospital. Abdullah was “both my son and my friend”, his father told the court, adding the loss has “destroyed the entire family.”
“We are unable to return to our normal lives, and I don’t think we ever will,” Yaser Abdullah Al Yazidi said.
View 4 ImagesZulkernain Ahmed was found guilty of murdering 16-year-old Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb(Image: South Yorkshire Police)
Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald KC told the court that one of the e-bike riders, La’Rome Divers, was the intended target for Zulkernain Ahmed, who had “driven for a number of miles specifically in order to look for La’Rome Divers with a view to striking La’Rome Divers by using the vehicle as a weapon”.
“This was a revenge attack based on La’Rome Divers’ attempts to steal an e-bike,” Mr MacDonald added.
Divers was knocked over a hedge but then refused to make a statement to police, the jury was told. A psychologist’s report found Zulkernain’s mental health conditions were “likely to have had a meaningful, but not sole, influence on the commission of the offence”.
The court heard how the report adds that the defendant is currently experiencing depression and anxiety and is expressing “daily thoughts of ending his life”.
View 4 ImagesArmaan Ahmed, who had been a passenger in the vehicle, was cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter(Image: South Yorkshire Police)
Alistair Webster, Zulkernain’s barrister, said his client had written a letter to express his apologies.
“I am sorry from the bottom of my heart,” the letter said. “I regret the actions I took that day, I wish time to turn back. I would change so many things. I am sorry to Abdullah’s family, every day I pray for them for things to get better for them. I cry every night knowing it was me. I wish I could make things better.”
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Ahmed added that he has learnt CPR and chest compressions since being in prison in the hope he can “make a difference” in future.
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