Two brothers – David Cohen, 28, of Upperthorpe and Ashley Cohen, 25, of Oughtibridge – were convicted on 11th April of the murder of taxi driver Younis Khan and were jailed for 31 and 33 years, respectively.
The prosecution did not allege that either man was present when Younis Khan was shot on Scott Road in March 2007, but rather that they organised the killing. Police have not found the person who pulled the trigger. Both brothers have protested their innocence. Ramzan Mirza was cleared by the court.
On 25th April, Danville Miller (“Debo”) was convicted of the non-fatal shooting of Dennis Small, owner of the Blue Mountain Café on Spital Hill. Miller was given an indeterminate jail sentence of at least 9½ years. Indeterminate sentences prevent a prisoner being released until they have been assessed as no longer being a significant risk to the public.
On 30th April, a jury failed to reach a verdict in the trial of Negus Nelson, 19, on the charge of murdering Jonathan Matondo, 16, in Nottingham Rec in October 2007. He was, however, acquitted of shootings on Melrose Rd earlier the same day. Nelson has been remanded in custody pending a retrial, which is unlikely to happen before next year and may not be held in Sheffield.
Giving evidence, Detective Inspector Matt Fenwick read out a ‘terrifying catalogue of violence’ between the ‘S3’ and ‘S4’ gangs, whose rivalry is said to have led to the death of Jonathan. He said Burngreave is ‘difficult to police’ because people living in the area are afraid to give information to the police for fear of reprisals.