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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/21/county-lines-gang-convicted-murder-drug-rival-joey-line
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| County lines gang convicted of drug rival's murder | County lines gang convicted of drug rival's murder |
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| Four members of a county lines gang have been convicted of murdering a member of a rival operation and seriously injuring two of his associates. The men, aged between 23 and 37, were part of the Joey line that traffics Class A drugs from London to central Bristol. They armed themselves with weapons including a “zombie knife” and stun guns before storming a flat in the city, which had been cuckooed by members of the rival Pablo line, on 25 June. Yasin Ahmed, 21, was stabbed to death while two of his associates suffered serious knife injuries. A resident of Canynge House, the block of flats in Bristol where the murder took place, called 999 after seeing four men wearing balaclavas and carrying weapons enter the building. One police car responding to the call came head-to-head with the Joey line gang’s rented black Mercedes trying to flee from the scene. The officers in the car gave chase, sprinting behind the men who discarded machetes and knives as they ran. Leon Eaton, 37, was caught a short time later while Korie Hassan, 26, was spotted hiding under a bin in a nearby alleyway. The two Bristol members of the Joey line, 23-year-old Jordan Parker and Yonis Diblawe, 24, were arrested days later. Following a five-week trial, a jury convicted Eaton, Hassan, Parker and Diblawe of murder and two charges of grievous bodily harm. Speaking after the case, DCI Darren Hannant, said: “Yasin Ahmed did not deserve his fate but had put himself in a position where the risk of attack was an occupational hazard. “It is clear from the evidence that the attackers went to Prewett Street that night intent on committing serious violence with dangerous weapons. “Because of the money involved, drug dealers will exploit those dependent on drugs for their own means and employ ruthless measures to stamp out competition. “While Yasin and his associates were clearly the victims of a brutal and targeted assault, they themselves were controlling a man twice their age in order to profit from their own drug-dealing enterprise.” The court heard that Ahmed, Dirie and Jama moved into the flat of a drug addict in Canynge House to sell heroin and crack cocaine. Drug dealers of the Joey line noticed their presence and decided to “go after” them, the court heard. The man behind the Joey line, who is now believed to be in Jamaica, sent Hassan and Eaton to join up with Parker and Diblawe on 23 June. WhatsApp messages recovered from a phone that had been snapped in half and thrown down a drain revealed plans to carry out the killing. In the early hours of 25 June, the four forced their way into the flat and stunned the tenant with a stun gun before turning knives on their rivals. Ahmed, who achieved A* grades at GCSE and planned to become a doctor, suffered fatal chest injuries and died at the scene. In a statement, his father said the family were “completely distraught” at the circumstances surrounding his murder. “My son, Yasin, was a very caring person and very considerate to others, especially towards the family and our community,” he said. “He was a very high achiever at school and gained 5 A* grades at GCSE level and 3 A* grades at A-Level. “His future was planned and he was accepted to study medicine at a very reputable university in China in September of this year. “With his admission fee already paid, his dream was to become a doctor so he could help others. “I just pray that Yasin’s character and reputation will be remembered fondly by the people who actually knew him as he was much-loved by his family and by the whole community.” | Four members of a county lines gang have been convicted of murdering a member of a rival operation and seriously injuring two of his associates. The men, aged between 23 and 37, were part of the Joey line that traffics Class A drugs from London to central Bristol. They armed themselves with weapons including a “zombie knife” and stun guns before storming a flat in the city, which had been cuckooed by members of the rival Pablo line, on 25 June. Yasin Ahmed, 21, was stabbed to death while two of his associates suffered serious knife injuries. A resident of Canynge House, the block of flats in Bristol where the murder took place, called 999 after seeing four men wearing balaclavas and carrying weapons enter the building. One police car responding to the call came head-to-head with the Joey line gang’s rented black Mercedes trying to flee from the scene. The officers in the car gave chase, sprinting behind the men who discarded machetes and knives as they ran. Leon Eaton, 37, was caught a short time later while Korie Hassan, 26, was spotted hiding under a bin in a nearby alleyway. The two Bristol members of the Joey line, 23-year-old Jordan Parker and Yonis Diblawe, 24, were arrested days later. Following a five-week trial, a jury convicted Eaton, Hassan, Parker and Diblawe of murder and two charges of grievous bodily harm. Speaking after the case, DCI Darren Hannant, said: “Yasin Ahmed did not deserve his fate but had put himself in a position where the risk of attack was an occupational hazard. “It is clear from the evidence that the attackers went to Prewett Street that night intent on committing serious violence with dangerous weapons. “Because of the money involved, drug dealers will exploit those dependent on drugs for their own means and employ ruthless measures to stamp out competition. “While Yasin and his associates were clearly the victims of a brutal and targeted assault, they themselves were controlling a man twice their age in order to profit from their own drug-dealing enterprise.” The court heard that Ahmed, Dirie and Jama moved into the flat of a drug addict in Canynge House to sell heroin and crack cocaine. Drug dealers of the Joey line noticed their presence and decided to “go after” them, the court heard. The man behind the Joey line, who is now believed to be in Jamaica, sent Hassan and Eaton to join up with Parker and Diblawe on 23 June. WhatsApp messages recovered from a phone that had been snapped in half and thrown down a drain revealed plans to carry out the killing. In the early hours of 25 June, the four forced their way into the flat and stunned the tenant with a stun gun before turning knives on their rivals. Ahmed, who achieved A* grades at GCSE and planned to become a doctor, suffered fatal chest injuries and died at the scene. In a statement, his father said the family were “completely distraught” at the circumstances surrounding his murder. “My son, Yasin, was a very caring person and very considerate to others, especially towards the family and our community,” he said. “He was a very high achiever at school and gained 5 A* grades at GCSE level and 3 A* grades at A-Level. “His future was planned and he was accepted to study medicine at a very reputable university in China in September of this year. “With his admission fee already paid, his dream was to become a doctor so he could help others. “I just pray that Yasin’s character and reputation will be remembered fondly by the people who actually knew him as he was much-loved by his family and by the whole community.” |
| • This article was amended on 23 December 2018 due to a misidentified person. | |
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