Five individuals have been sentenced to a combined total of almost 80 years in prison for orchestrating a decade-long campaign of robberies across Birmingham and Derby.
Over a ten-month period between 2023 and 2024, Demalji Hadza (21), Abubaker Alezawy (21), Ali Hassan (20), Wasim Omar (24), and Mohammed Sharif (22) conspired to execute a series of robberies that cumulatively stole over £100,000. Their criminal activities targeted locations such as Golden Hillock Park in South Birmingham and Derby city centre.
The sentencing, handed down today, reflects the severity and premeditated nature of their offenses:
Demalji Hadza – 16 years and two months
Abubaker Alezawy – 16 years and five months
Ali Hassan – 16 years and nine months
Wasim Omar – 17 years and three months
Mohammed Sharif – 12 years and three months
Hadza and Alezawy entered guilty pleas on the second day of the trial, while Hassan, Omar, and Sharif were convicted on September 17 of the previous year after a six-week trial.
The group employed deceptive tactics to lure victims, often using dating apps like Grindr to arrange meetings under false pretenses. Victims believed they were meeting legitimate individuals but were instead confronted by the offenders. In several instances, the men feigned injuries to gain the trust of passersby, only to assault and rob them upon their arrival. One notable incident involved the group pretending their car had broken down in Derby, leading two well-meaning individuals to assist them before being violently robbed.
During these assaults, the suspects used masks or face coverings to conceal their identities and employed large weapons to intimidate their victims. The attacks often left victims with serious injuries, including broken eye sockets, dislocated shoulders, and broken noses, necessitating hospital treatment. Additionally, the perpetrators used victims’ phones to transfer substantial sums from their bank accounts and made unauthorized withdrawals and purchases using stolen cards.
Detective Inspector Tom Lyons of the Birmingham LPA praised the diligent efforts of his team, highlighting the extensive use of CCTV footage, vehicle tracking, financial investigations, and forensic phone analysis that led to the group’s identification and prosecution. “This was a calculated series of robberies,” Lyons stated, “targeting individuals they deemed vulnerable. The bravery of the victims in coming forward was instrumental in bringing these offenders to justice.”
Detective Constable Sarah Byrne emphasized the importance of victim cooperation in such cases. “Convicting these individuals would have never been possible without the victims’ bravery in sharing their accounts,” Byrne said. She encouraged others who have experienced similar crimes to report them, assuring that all reports are handled sensitively by specially trained officers.
The convictions mark a significant victory for law enforcement in combating organized crime in the region and aim to deter similar offenses in the future.