Rabina calls for stronger anti-knife crime strategy

WRITING IN The Independent, Cllr Rabina Khan has outlined the need for a bottom-up, community led strategy against knife crime. Her remarks came just after a 16 year old boy who killed local student Syed Jamanoor Islam, 20, in Mile End received prison sentences.

Cllr Khan describes how the young Islam died: a gang of four youngsters came looking for his younger brother to continue a petty dispute. As Islam called them to order, they beat him up and one knifed him in the leg, fatally wounding him.

After the event, the four tried to go into hiding. Police used CCTV to identify their suspects and patient but intense detective work managed to find and arrest them. The four were convicted of various offences at the Inner London Crown Court and returned for sentencing on 22nd December.

•Read our original story:
Syed murder: police appeal for witnesses

The youngest of the four, who was aged just 16, was found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 16 years. The other sentences handed down were:
•Nayeem Chowdhury, 18, of Burdett Road, E14 was sentenced to a total of 18 months in prison for conspiracy to commit ABH and driving offences (linked to his attempt to evade arrest);
•Ismail Muhammad Uddin, 18, of Cahir Street, was sentenced to a total of 18 months for conspiracy to commit ABH and possession of an offensive weapon;
•Samiur Rahman, 19, of Cypress Street, E2 was sentenced to a total of 18 months for conspiracy to commit ABH and perverting the course of justice.

•Read Cllr Khan’s article in The Independent:
The Independent

Cllr Khan points to the consequences of the incident: so many lives have changed. The victim’s family continue to live, in dignity, with their grief. Three youngsters will find life harder now they have convictions. One boy, scarcely more than a child, will spend his youth in prison. We need the community to rally round and change the mindset operating among our young people, so that carrying a knife is no longer seen as manly or strong – if we are to stop more families having to go through the grief that the rash action of a moment can cause.

•Read more about it:
West Ham stabbing one of four New Year murders
Youth gets nine years for Dagenham stabbing

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