Three men have been jailed for a total of more than 70 years for the brutal murder of 35 year old Hamzah Iqbal in Wembley.
Ali Alamari, 21, Joshua Oladele, 20 and Micah Hines, 21, all from Brent, appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court yesterday where they were sentenced as follows:
- Oladele was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 28 years.
- Hines was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 25 years.
- Alamari was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 24 years.
The three men, who armed themselves with weapons before fatally stabbing 35-year-old Hamzah in Wembley, were all convicted following a trial at the same court on August 20.
The court heard how Hamzah was attacked when he was out with friends in Olympic Way on the evening of September 25, 2023.
The three defendants had gone out that night armed with knives and machetes, and were wearing masks.
Why Hamzah was singled out has never been established, but he was attacked with a sustained ferocity by all three defendants, suffering in excess of 20 knife wounds, one of which ended his life.
Officers and the London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene and Hamzah was taken to hospital – but despite the best efforts of the emergency services, sadly he could not be saved.
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Detectives began to piece together the events of that evening, compiling footage from a painstaking trawl of CCTV, which led to the identification and arrest of the suspects.
Detective Chief Inspector Mark Rogers, who led the investigation, said: “This was a ferocious sustained attack by three men that left Hamzah with no opportunity to defend himself.
“His family is devastated by their loss and their lives are forever changed by the actions of three violent thugs.
“Those three men went out armed with weapons that evening, the only conclusion that can be made is that they had set out that evening intent on violence.
“Our investigation team worked hard to build a case against the defendants, ensuring that they would face the consequences of their actions.
“Although nothing can bring Hamza back, it is my sincere hope that his family find a measure of solace in knowing that those responsible for his death will now spend many years of their lives behind bars.”
