16 Year-old Boy Guilty of Murdering Ayub Hassan
White City teen stabbed in North End Road during row over drug dealing
Ayub Hassan
A 16-year-old boy has been sentenced to 15 years in jail after being found guilty of murder.
The teenager, who cannot be named due to his age, was convicted of the murder of 17-year-old Ayub Hassan on Friday, 6 September following a trial at the Old Bailey.
On Friday, 27 September, at the same court, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Ayub, from Fulham, was fatally stabbed just off Lanfrey Place in Kensington on Thursday, 7 March.
Following the sentencing, Ayub’s mother Siraad Aden, said: “The last six months have been the most difficult in mine and my family’s life and nothing will ever be the same.
“I hope one day we will all be able to talk about Ayub and remember him without crying.
“He was a beautiful young soul, a big brother to his two siblings and my first born and best friend. I dreamed about graduation days, him getting his driving licence, getting married and becoming a father – but that has all been taken away and instead I go to visit his grave.
“I am so thankful to everyone that came to Ayub’s assistance especially the nurse who did all she could to help him in his last breathing moments.
“To everyone who has reached out to me, the community where we live, my children’s school, the detectives and lawyers that have helped make sure justice is served, I want to say a big thank you from the bottom of my heart.
“Ayub can now finally rest in peace.”
During the trial, footage was shown in court which showed a group of males, including Ayub and the defendant, socialising in an alleyway into Lanfrey Place, at the rear of Marzel House.
The 16-year-old – who was 15 at the time of the incident – is seen approaching Ayub and appearing to argue with him before stabbing him once in the chest.
Following the attack, the group moved onto Lanfrey Place, where Ayub collapsed backwards onto the ground.
Despite being helped across the road, he fell for a second time and was assisted by members of the public including an off-duty nurse.
Analysis of the CCTV led officers to identify the defendant, who was also captured cycling away from the scene following the attack.
He was arrested at an address in Southall the following day, where clothing matching that worn in the footage was seized.
A phone recovered from him at the time of arrest was also found to have connected with a mast close to the scene of the stabbing on the afternoon of the murder.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Leonard, who led the investigation, said: “The defendant in this case was just 15 years old when he carried out this fatal attack. He will now have a considerable period of time to reflect on his actions that night.
“Ayub’s family will have to live with this devastating loss for the rest of their lives but can now start to grieve properly knowing justice has been done.
“We want to pay tribute to the dignity they have shown throughout this trial and we hope this helps bring them some kind of closure.”
Do you know about someone who is carrying a knife? If you have information that could help keep your community safe, but don’t want to speak to police, please contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. They do not ask your name and cannot trace your call or I.P address.
Any young people who have information about violence or knife crime can visit www.fearless.org where they can pass on information anonymously – your I.P address will not be traced. Fearless is part of the Crimestoppers charity, and is also independent of the police.
The killer, who was 15 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, stabbed 17 year-old Ayub in a row over county lines drug dealing and made off on a rental bike.
During his trial he claimed he acted in self-defence but was found guilty by a majority of 11 to one.
Police were called to the scene around 2.14pm on 7 March. Ayub was found with stab injuries to the chest and taken to a central London hospital, but he sadly died a short time later.
After his death, his mother Siraad told the Evening Standard
that Ayub, the oldest of her three children, had wanted to be a barrister and that he was her ‘best friend'.
The killing of Shepherd's Bush resident Ayub, known to his friends as A1, took place in front of a group of young people and was caught on graphic CCTV footage shown during the trial at the Old Bailey.
Prosecutor Anthony Orchard QC told jurors none of those present had helped police in their investigation, or offered any explanation for what had happened.
One of them was even pictured throwing the alleged murder weapon - a folding lock knife - into a nearby drain, where it was later recovered by police.
The defendant told jurors he feared he was about to be stabbed by Ayub, who was a member of the 12 World gang, for refusing to deal Class A drugs across county lines for him.
Giving evidence, the boy said he had made a 'positive decision' to stop selling Class A drugs following a previous conviction, although he admitted breaching a community behaviour order.
He will be sentenced at a later date.
Lanfrey Place. Picture: Google Streetview
September 16, 2019