Ten jailed for 130 years after mother set on fire

Ten men have been jailed for a combined 130 years after a mother was set on fire in a revenge attack that also seriously injured a teenage girl.

To escape the flames at a house on Beverley Drive in Stoke-on-Trent, on the night of 16 December 2021, both victims were forced to jump from an upstairs window they had smashed.

The convictions of the 10 men involved came after an 11-week trial at Nottingham Crown Court, which ended in February, alongside a number of guilty pleas entered before the trial began.

Det Con Howard Davies from Staffordshire Police's major investigations department said the violence had been "truly shocking" and had "put lives at grave risk".

"These sentences mark the conclusion of a lengthy and complex investigation into an extremely serious and violent series of events that left a mother with life changing injuries," he said.

Davies also praised the "incredible strength and resilience" shown by the victims, who he said had endured "unimaginable physical and emotional trauma".

Seven of the men were sentenced on Friday at Leicester Crown Court, sitting at Loughborough, while three of the men were sentenced previously at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.

Those sentenced over the incident were:

• Shakil Uddin, 23, of Oldham, was sentenced on Friday to 34 years in prison after being found guilty of one count of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life.
• Ali Abbas, 23, of Normacot, Stoke on Trent, was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life, as well as violent disorder, two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a knife or blade in a public place.
• Haris Mahmood, 22, of Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on Friday to 24 years and nine months in prison after pleading guilty two counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life.
• Riyadh Iqbal, 23, of Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on Friday to 12 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent to endanger life.
• Lukman Khan, 25, of Normacot, Stoke on Trent, was sentenced on Friday to 12 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent to endanger life.
• Muhammad Sufyaan Shah, 25, from Oldham, was sentenced on Friday to 11 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent.
• Tayyeb Majeed, 24, of Longton, Stoke on Trent, was sentenced on Friday to 10 years and six months in prison after being found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent.
• Kashif Ahmed, 26, of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on 7 July for 48 weeks after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
• Naveed Hussain, 32, of Longton, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on 3 June to 22 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possession of a knife blade or sharp pointed article in a public place.
• Bilal Ahmed, 27, of Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced on 3 June to 15 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, as well as 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to violent disorder.

During the trial, the court heard that at around 16:00 GMT on 16 December 2021, a fight broke out on Kildare Street, Longton, involving Hussain, Bilal Ahmed, Kashif Ahmed and Abbas, according to police.

During the incident, Kashif Ahmed sustained a stab wound to his shoulder and later attended hospital.

Shortly before 23:00 GMT the same evening, a group of men went to a house on Beverley Drive in Stoke-on-Trent, demanding to speak to Hussain.

They smashed the downstairs windows and poured petrol into the hallway and outside the living room window.

Police confirmed that a 31-year-old woman inside the property was struck on the head and set on fire. She suffered 65% burns, a broken pelvis, broken ribs and a cut to her liver.

She was not initially expected to survive, but spent two months in a coma, learned to walk again and is likely require lifelong medical treatment.

A 13-year-old girl, also in the house, suffered 15% burns to her right arm.

Davies added: "We hope these sentences send a strong message that this kind of violence will not be tolerated, and that those responsible will be held to account."

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