Fishermead Murder Trial

11 January 2013, 12:07 | Updated: 11 January 2013, 13:43

Two men who shot dead two Somali teenagers on Milton Keynes' Fishermead estate have been told they will each spend more than 30 years in jail.

Mohammed Abdi Farah, 19, and Amin Ahmed Ismail, 18, (pictured) were shot on Thursday 26 May 2011 in a row over 'drug turf'.  Mohammed died at the scene.  Amin died later at Milton Keynes Hospital.

Fuad Awale, 25, of Cranesbill Place, Conniburrow, Milton Keynes, and Sharmake Abdulkadir, 22, of The Fleet, Springfield, Milton Keynes (pictured below) were sentenced at Luton Crown Court on Friday 11 January 2013, having been convicted of two counts of murder.

Awale was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 38 years.  Abdulkadir was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 32 years.

A third defendant, Yahya Harun, 22, of Fishermead Boulevard, Milton Keynes was found not guilty on all counts.

Prosecutors said the accused were part of a gang of five, two of whom were not in court.

Abdulkadir was also convicted by the jury of possessing a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.

During the trial the court was told Mohammed Farah and Amin Ismail were gunned down in an alleyway after one of them handed out a drug dealer's cannabis for free.

Detective Sergeant Mark Morton read the following statement outside Luton Crown Court after the verdicts were announced.

“The murders of Mohamed and Amin were both senseless and indefensible. They were two young men with their lives ahead of them, but tragically their lives were brought to a premature end in the most brutal of ways.

“My thoughts are very much with the families of Mohamed and Amin, who have not only had to deal with the tragic deaths of their loved ones, but have endured the wait for justice to prevail.

“They have shown bravery and great dignity throughout the police investigation and I would like to thank them for their unwavering support of our inquiry.

“This has been a long and complex investigation for which the motive of the killings may never be known.

“There is no doubt that the shootings had a big impact on the Fishermead estate.

“Incidents of this magnitude are thankfully rare but when they happen they will naturally cause fear and concern among the local community.

“I want to thank the community for their support of the police investigation and all the witnesses who have given statements or evidence in this case.

“Finally I would like to thank all our partner agencies, including the Crown Prosecution Service, who we have worked with closely throughout the investigation and who have shared our ultimate goal, to bring about justice for Mohamed and Amin.”