A 16-year-old boy who had recently arrived in Britain (UK) after fleeing insecurity in Yemen was killed while walking to buy lunch in Sheffield, a court has heard.
Abdullah Yaser Abdullah Taleb had been in the city for only two months and was preparing to start college when an Audi S3 mounted the danger around him and struck him on the pavement in June 2025.
He was not part of the dispute that led to the fatal incident.
At Sheffield Crown Court, Zulkernain Ahmed, 21, was jailed for life after being convicted of murder. He must serve at least 30 years before he can be considered for release.
His elder brother, Armaan Ahmed, 27, who was in the car with him, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for manslaughter.
The case centred on a pursuit involving the Audi and a group of three riders, two on e-bikes and one on a moped. Prosecutors said the brothers were targeting the riders when Abdullah was hit.
The teenager, who had no connection with the row, had been walking along the pavement. Footage shown in court captured him throwing and catching a water bottle shortly before the collision.
Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples, who sentenced the brothers, described the killing as “senseless and shocking.”
The court heard that the confrontation followed a dispute over an e-bike. Zulkernain claimed he had earlier been threatened after an e-bike was stolen from him at knifepoint.
A man named in court, La’Rome Divers, was said to have made threats against Zulkernain and his family. The court was told Divers did not assist police with their investigation.
But Abdullah paid the price for a dispute that had nothing to do with him.
His father, Yaser Abdullah Taleb Al Yazidi, said the family had left Yemen because daily life had become unbearable.
He told the court that war, gangs and armed men had made life in Yemen almost impossible, and that he brought his family to England hoping they would find peace.
Abdullah had been looking forward to building a future in his new country. His father described him as an optimistic boy who loved life and people.
He said his son was happy to have arrived in a country he believed was safe.
That hope ended on a Sheffield pavement.
The judge’s sentence brings a legal end to the case, but for Abdullah’s family, the loss remains permanent. They came to Britain seeking safety, only to lose a son who had barely begun his new life.
The killing has also drawn attention to the danger of using cars as weapons during disputes. In this case, the person who died was not a rival, a rider or a participant in the confrontation.
He was a teenager walking to buy lunch.
For his family, that is the cruelty of the case: Abdullah survived the insecurity they left behind, but was killed in the place where they hoped he would be safe.