Emadh Miah convicted of murder of 18 yr old Ghulam Sadiq

Emadh Miah

A man has been convicted of the murder of 18-year-old Ghulam Sadiq in Leytonstone last year.

Emadh Miah, 18, from the Solihull, appeared at the Old Bailey where he was convicted today of the murder.

He had admitted manslaughter but pleaded not guilty to murder. He had earlier pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon.

Miah will be sentenced on a date to be confirmed.

DCI Linda Bradley of the Met’s Specialist Crime said: “This is one of those rare cases where we have never been able to conclusively establish a motive for the crime. Miah tried to claim diminished responsibility, but the careful planning that went into buying weapons and his actions throughout the day of the fatal attack meant the jury were able to see through his deceit.

“Ghulam’s family have now seen the man responsible for his death brought to justice, but I know that their anguish and loss will be with them forever and our thoughts remain with them.

“The team worked quickly to identify and arrest Miah and to uncover the attempts he had made to purchase the weapons he used in the attack. I cannot help but reflect that large knives and machetes being sold online is open to abuse and lamentably continues to be a risk to the public.”

Sign up for regular updates straight to your inbox

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated on the latest news and updates from around the Muslim world!

The court heard how Miah, who was only 17 at the time of the murder, had tried to use a false ID to buy knives prior to the crime.

On July 23, 2022 Miah attempted to buy a 15 inch Rambo-style knife from a website. He provided a false name and a fake driving licence, but the vendor realised the identity document was false and the order was rejected.

Undeterred, the next day he placed an order with another website for two knives advertised as a “Fantasy Spartan Sword blackout version serrated-bade two piece set.”

Again, he provided a false name and a driving licence. This time the order was accepted and the knives were shipped to the defendant’s address in Solihull. The knives could not be delivered and were left at the local post office.

There is no record to show that the knives were collected, but the knives that the defendant purchased bear a striking resemblance to the knife he used to stab Ghulam Sadiq.

Ghulam Sadiq. Pic: Met Police

Miah travelled from Birmingham to London on August 4 and it is believed he was in possession of at least one of those knives. It was on August 6 that the fatal attack took place.

Miah had taken a train to Stratford where he hired a bike and then made his way to Leytonstone, where he was seen cycling around by a number of witnesses. It was a sunny day, but Miah had pulled up the hood of his jacket, was wearing gloves and had his face concealed by a surgical mask.

Miah made his way to the street where 18-year-old Ghulam Sadiq lived and he waited. When Mr Sadiq arrived, he was also on a bicycle, Miah took out a knife and Mr Sadiq cycled off.

Miah continued to wait for Mr Sadiq, this time with the knife in his hand, and when Mr Sadiq returned a short while later Miah ran after him and stabbed him in the back. Miah then went back to his bike and cycled off.

Mr Sadiq managed to run to a restaurant in High Road, Leytonstone where he collapsed.

Police were called to the restaurant to reports of a young male who had been stabbed. When police arrived members of the public were giving first aid to Mr Sadiq inside the restaurant.

Mr Sadiq was moved outside the restaurant for emergency services to try and save him, however at 2.39pm he was sadly pronounced dead.

The cause of death was sharp force trauma to the back, consistent with a bladed tool such as a knife. The wound was nearly 15cm in depth and had pierced Mr Sadiq’s heart.

Miah took steps to evade detection, however officers were able to trace his movements and the clothing he was wearing while traveling was also visually matched to the clothing he wore at the scene of the crime.

On August 9 2022 police officers located Miah in Walsall and arrested him upon suspicion of murder. He was interviewed but made no comment to all questions. He was subsequently charged with murder.

Add your comments below

Previous articleUniversity president who supported Muslim students in Prophet image controversy to retire
Next articleBurkina Faso is eradicating French influence in the country