by Not half an hour earlier, a jury had delivered its verdict. The trial was tense. It took its toll on the families in court.
In an outpouring of emotion and bitterness, a mass brawl broke out yards from the Crown Court in Manchester. It was an ugly scene when Badri Issa’s murder trial ended in outrage.
Weeks later, as the killer learned his fate, the judge in the case had a simple message for those involved: “This cycle of violence must end.”
Here, court reporter Amy Walker looks back at a trial defined by hostility and the ‘peacemaker’ at its center…
READ MORE: Murderer jailed for life after stabbing peacemaker to death during fight
Eight people – including two teenagers – were arrested as police rushed to break up the melee in Crown Square. It was the culmination of a difficult few weeks in court.
The public gallery was filled day after day. A young man was dead and the future of two others hung in the balance. As jurors returned to court to deliver their verdicts, the families of the three men watched on.
Raami Mohamed – guilty of murder. Kevin Blake – not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. As the courtroom emptied and people filed out into the street, things took a turn for the worse.
Bottles were launched and punches were thrown. It is understood that no charges have yet been brought against those involved.
It was the second controversy related to the trial. After the verdicts, the police revealed that Rijaan Mohamed – Raami’s brother – was in jail after he was caught recording the trial from the gallery.
The 27-year-old, from Fairy Lane, dropped his phone from the balcony. It was analyzed as jurors were sent out, before it was discovered that it had been recording for more than 90 minutes. He was locked up for seven months after admitting contempt of court.
‘pacifist’
As the trial began in April, jurors were told there was a ‘background of enmity’ between Badri’s friend – Omar Jeylaani – and Mohamed’s accused murder following a dispute over a Volkswagen Polo. Mohamed had arranged to hire the car from a firm said to be linked to Mr Jeylaani.
But Mohamed did not pay the agreed sum and then said he was ‘going to keep the car’. On October 25 last year, Badri, who hoped to become a mechanical engineer, was going to the gym with Mr Jeylaani when Mohamed gestured for them to pull over on Moss Lane East in Moss Side.
When the two got stuck, Badri, acting as a peacemaker, got between them and told them to ‘chill’. As the tension grew, Mohamed pulled a knife and stabbed Badri in the chest.
He collapsed as the men continued their violent attack on Badri’s friend. The whole thing played out in broad daylight, with passers-by and commuters trying to intervene.
Emergency services raced to the scene and Badri was taken to hospital, where he sadly died. Blake, 20, was charged with “aiding and abetting” Mohamed in the killing, prosecutors said.
Greater Manchester Police’s Major Incident Team launched an investigation following the tragedy. Detectives trawled through hours of CCTV footage, capturing the movements of those involved in the days leading up to the attack.
Neighborhood police found the car containing Mohamed and Blake in a car park on Arrow Street, Salford. Forensic specialists found Badri’s blood near the top of the mile.
Officers executed a warrant at Mohamed’s last known address on Swan Lane, Cheetham Hill. He wasn’t there, but the police were able to capture evidence to link him to the car. He was later arrested on Heaton Street in Prestwich.
Kevell Blake’s home was then raided. Police found clothing matching what they knew he was wearing hours after the attack. Analysis of phone data revealed extensive contact between Mohamed and Blake in the hours leading up to the attack.
At 6.05pm on the day Badri died, their devices were in the same location. It is believed they were in the car together. An hour and a half later, Badri was knifed.
Hours later, Mohamed and Blake, police say, appeared to meet at a home on Recreation Street. The next morning, detectives discovered that Mohamed was in contact with an attorney in Birmingham. He ordered a taxi to the solicitor’s business premises.
They were subsequently charged. As the trial progressed, the tension in the air was palpable. The police had to stand outside the courtroom to ensure that the proceedings were not disrupted.
Families had to be kept apart, and extra officers drafted in to monitor the trial. As Mohamed testified, he claimed that Badri was the perpetrator of the violence, falsely claiming that he brought the knife and threw it away and used it in self-defense during a struggle.
Jurors saw through his lies and convicted him of murder on May 9. This week, when Mohamed appeared at a sentencing hearing, trial judge Elizabeth Nicolls referred to the fight outside court.
“I know there has been some shady and potentially criminal behavior outside of this court following the verdicts,” she said. “This is a case where there are no winners and at the heart of this tragedy is a young man who lost his life for no reason and those responsible must live with the guilty for the rest of their lives.
“Episodes of violence don’t do anything, they don’t help anyone. There was a lot of violence on October 25 because of anger. Don’t repeat those mistakes, please behave with dignity and let everyone a person grieves in their own way for their loss.
“Badri Issa’s brother Gulad was right. Too many lives have been senselessly taken. The cycle of violence must end.”
Mohamed, of Siog Lane, was jailed for life to serve a minimum of 18 years in prison. Blake, of Bronshill Drive, will be sentenced on July 19.
‘More than one son and brother’
In a tribute released after the trial, Badri’s family said: “Badri was nothing more than a son and a brother. He was a friend, a confidant and a beacon of light in our family. It was seen in every aspect of his life. He believed in always the power of dialogue and understanding, and he never hesitated to step in when he saw an injustice that needed to be corrected.
“On that fateful day, Badri acted on his principles. He saw a situation escalating and knew his intervention could prevent further harm. In a world where it is often easier to turn a blind eye, choose Badri was a pacifist. He chose to act, to go forward, and try to defuse a potentially dangerous situation. It was in this act of courage that he was taken away from us.
“Badri’s legacy is one of courage, compassion and sacrifice. He was a true hero, and his character was testament to his actions that day. He gave his life trying to protect others, embodying the essence of what it means. be selfless.
“Although Badri’s life was short, he had a profound impact on everyone who knew him. He will continue to inspire us to be better, to strive for peace, and to help those in need. We don’t remember him for the way he died, but for the way he lived with integrity, kindness, and an unyielding commitment to making the world a better place (act of prayer) every day.
“Badri’s memory will live on in the acts of kindness and bravery that all of us do in our daily lives.”
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Naismith from our Major Incident Team said: “Badri Issa was so young when he lost his life in the most tragic way. Having just graduated from university, he was about to start a new life, a new career, and achieving new milestones He paid the ultimate price for trying to de-escalate a situation.
“From day one, Badri has been at the heart of our investigation, and we had teams of officers working in 2012 to get answers for his family. I know that no result will lessen the pain that his family feels, but I hope so. to [the] The sentence goes some way to comforting his relatives knowing that his killers are behind bars.”
