Teenager jailed for life after killing gang rival

A teenager has been jailed for the murder of a 19-year-old following a dispute between rival street gangs in Birmingham.

Oumar Traore, 18, stabbed Yassin Alama in Hutton Road, the street on which the killer lived, in November last year.

Traore admitted killing Alama in self-defence but a jury found him guilty of murder and possession of a blade at Birmingham Crown Court in June.

On Friday Judge Kubik KC handed him a life sentence, with a minimum of 20 years in prison before he will be eligible for release.

Traore was 17 years old at the time of the attack after a fight broke out between rival street gangs from Handsworth and Aston.

CCTV showed how Traore fled to Westminster Road where he got into his friend Mustafa Ali's car.

While inside he filmed his bloodstained knife and boasted in social media posts he shared with friends, said West Midlands Police.

Ali then drove Traore away from the area to Gordon Road where he discarded the murder weapon and his mobile phone and arranged for his clothes to be collected for disposal.

These items were later recovered by officers.

Traore evaded police for a week, helped by his close friend Oliver Gabbis, who arranged travel and accommodation for him at several locations.

Officers tracked Traore down to an address in Quinton Road, Birmingham where he was arrested.

Several large knives were found inside this address, including one with Traore's fingerprints on it.

Officers said they uncovered evidence of Traore's gang affiliation, an obsession with knives and how he was buying and selling machetes and zombie knives.

Ali, 18, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender and will be sentenced at a date to be confirmed.

Gabbis, 20, was sentenced on 3 July to three years and nine months having pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

Det Insp Michelle Cordell said the case highlighted the "devastating" impact of gang violence and knife crime.

She said: "Yassin Alama's life was cut short, through a senseless act of violence. He was just 19 years old. [Traore's] actions showed total disregard for human life and his boasting after the murder are despicably chilling.

"No sentence imposed can ever compensate for the tragic loss of human life, but I hope Yassin's family can find some comfort in knowing that his killer will now face a considerable time behind bars."

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