Three Men convicted over Crossbow Killings at Cannabis Farm

Three men have been found guilty of killing two people with a crossbow during a gang raid on a cannabis farm.

Waseem Ramzan, aged 36, and Khuzaimah Douglas, aged 19, sustained fatal injuries as a result of the “horrific” weapon.

Carnage had unfolded in Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill in the early hours of February 20, 2020.

It was heard that Waseem was said to be defending the drugs while Mr Douglas was identified as one of the raiders.

Following a three-week trial, Saghawat Ramzan, aged 47, of Pensnett Road, was found guilty of double murder.

His son Omar Ramzan, aged 24, and ‘associate’ Mohammed Sageer, aged 33, of Gorsty Avenue, were found guilty of manslaughter in relation to Mr Ramzan and murder in relation to Mr Douglas.

The men died when at least 10 burglars staged a pre-planned raid on the cannabis farm, containing up to £225,000 worth of the drug.

Saghawat told Wolverhampton Crown Court that he owned the home and had rented it to Vietnamese tenants but denied knowing about the drugs, despite living next door.

At around 3:30 am, the gang made a move on the cannabis farm.

Saghawat claimed he heard noises. After seeing several shadowy figures on his CCTV system, he went downstairs.

He alerted his brother Waseem who lived a few doors away and grabbed a sword and a crossbow. His son Omar followed closely behind.

In the back garden, Saghawat looked over his fence and fired a crossbow bolt at his shed in a bid to frighten the thieves.

He then chased members of the fleeing gang into nearby Kerry Close where a number of getaway cars were waiting.

The vehicles tried to run over the Ramzans as they escaped. One crashed into a garden fence in nearby Wilson Road.

Meanwhile, Waseem had caught Mr Douglas and grappled with him in the street.

As they tussled, they found themselves surrounded by Sageer and the other two Ramzans, both of whom were armed with crossbows.

Saghawat fired two bolts. He claimed both times he was aiming for Mr Douglas’ arm, stating he thought he was reaching for a knife. He said it was in “self-defence”.

However, the prosecution argued that he intended to “punish” Mr Douglas and to send a “message” to gang members intent on raiding the cannabis farm.

One bolt struck Waseem while the other hit Mr Douglas.

Waseem, who was shot by accident, was bundled into a people carrier and taken to hospital but died a short while later.

Mr Douglas made his way onto Wilson Road but also died of his injuries.

The prosecution stated that all three defendants had intended to cause “really serious harm” to Mr Douglas at the very least.

Detective Chief Inspector Jim Munro said:

“The actions of these three men were shocking, brutal and calculated.”

“To protect their cannabis grow, they were happy to use extreme violence in a brutal and sustained attack on Khuzaimah.

“We believe they wanted to send a clear message to the people who’d attempted to rob their cannabis factory.

“However, Saghawat also killed his own brother during the attack which further highlights their determination to cause serious harm and just how dangerous their weapons were.

“There is no place on our streets for violence like this or the armoury of weapons they chose to have and ultimately use.

“Two lives have been lost because these men decided to use extreme violence in an attempt to protect their illegal drug business.”

Birmingham Mail reported that following their convictions, the three men will be sentenced on March 12, 2021.