Three men have been convicted of murdering a 22-year-old man who was stabbed to death in Walsall following what a judge described as “pure factional violence”.
A jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court found Zain Raja, 23, Asad Iftakhar, 28, and Hassan Iftakhar, 34, unanimously guilty of murder.
A fourth defendant, Amaan Khan, 22, was acquitted of murder but convicted of manslaughter by a majority verdict.
The victim, Mohammed Khan, was attacked on Bloxwich Road at around 17:15 on 17 March last year. He was taken to hospital with catastrophic injuries but died later that evening.
The court heard that Mr Khan was subjected to a prolonged and violent attack in broad daylight, in front of members of the public. He was kicked, stamped on and stabbed multiple times, including to the back and neck.
Footage from witnesses’ mobile phones and CCTV cameras showed the defendants carrying out the assault. Prosecutors said the attack was sustained and vengeful.
During sentencing remarks, Judge Michael Chambers KC told the three men convicted of murder that they faced life imprisonment.
He said: “This was not one-sided. This was pure factional violence being settled on the streets of Walsall.
“There is no element of provocation in this case it was pure violence on both sides.”
The court heard that Mr Khan had arrived at the scene carrying two large knives and had attempted to attack Zain Raja before he was set upon by the group, who were all related.
Asad Iftakhar was also convicted of possessing a knife, while Hassan Iftakhar was found guilty of possessing an axe. A fifth defendant, Iftakhar Ahmed, 53, was found not guilty.
All four convicted men were remanded in custody and will be sentenced on a date to be fixed.
Following the verdicts, Mr Khan’s mother released a statement describing her ongoing grief and the impact of losing her son in violent circumstances. She said the loss had changed her life permanently and that she continued to struggle with pain and exhaustion.
Detective Inspector Joe Davenport of West Midlands Police said the attack was a shocking outbreak of violence.
He said: “What started as self-defence turned into cold-blooded revenge. The group went far beyond what was reasonable, and the jury was satisfied their actions amounted to murder.”
He added that the case highlighted the devastating consequences of knife crime and the dangers of carrying weapons.