"It was a revenge ambush"
A drug-dealing gang ambushed and shot at a rival criminal as part of a feud in Derby.
Derby Crown Court heard how Ismail Hussain invited his drug-dealing rival to a meeting to resolve an issue between them.
Hussain waited in a white VW Golf with three other men – Daniyal Riasat, Andre Bushay and Abdullah Mohammed.
The trio hid in bushes and as the victim walked towards the car, Bushay and one of the other men “wearing masks and balaclavas” pulled out two guns and fired five shots.
The victim, who was not hurt by the gunfire, scrambled back into the car and fled the scene.
Sentencing the gang, Judge Nirmal Shant QC said:
“It was a revenge ambush that was carefully planned and premeditated.
“It was plain your plan, a joint plan, was to convey to the victim that you were not to be messed with.
“It must have been a very frightening incident and it is a small miracle no one was hurt.”
Michelle Heeley QC, prosecuting, said the background to the feud was about a drugs debt and that the victim was believed to be owed money.
Miss Heeley said: “He was expecting a face-to-face meeting with Ismail Hussain – a man-to-man talk about what was going on between them.
“He explained to the police that he got out of the car and saw Ismail Hussain who told him that he wanted to talk, he tried to guide him towards the bushes near to where the car on false plates was parked up.
“The other three men, Bushay, Riasat and Mohammed had exited the car and were hiding in bushes, they jumped out, they were all wearing masks and balaclavas.
“The victim’s friend saw what was going on and shouted to the victim to stop.”
“The victim returned to the car he had arrived in and it was as he got into the car and began to drive away shots were fired.
“Witnesses described at least two men holding guns and firing at the victim and his passenger.
“This wasn’t a meeting, it was an ambush, Andre Bushay, Abdullah Mohammed, Ismail Hussain and Daniyal Riasat weren’t there to talk, they were there to terrify.”
The quartet admitted to a charge of conspiracy to possess a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.
On January 28, 2022, Ismail Hussain was jailed for seven years and two months with Judge Shant saying:
“You put this together, this was your battle, you put the group together, it was your grudge.”
Bushay was jailed for seven years and eight months.
Mohammed was jailed for seven years and two months.
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