He tried to steer clear from 'unwanted trouble' - then became a killer

A man who claimed he tried to 'steer clear' of the violence surrounding him as a child is now in jail for killing a man.

Badri Issa was just 22-years-old when he was stabbed to death by Raami Mohamed on the evening of October 25, 2023. Mr Issa, who hoped to become a mechanical engineer, was heading to the gym with his pal Omar Jeylaani when Mohamed gestured to his friend to pull over into a lay-by in Moss Side.

Manchester Crown Court heard Mohamed and Jeylaani had previously been in a dispute over a car and, after stopping, the pair became involved in a stand-off. Mr Issa, acting as a peacemaker, got in between them and told them to ‘chill’. Riding as passenger, Kevell Blake, 21, also got out of the car and began fighting with Jeylaani.

Within two minutes, Mohamed pulled a knife and stabbed Mr Issa in the chest. Both Mohamed and Blake immediately fled the scene, with Mohamed dumping his phone, the knife and his clothes. They then took a taxi to Birmingham to meet a solicitor. Mr Issa sadly died later that night.

Following a trial in May last year, Mohamed was found guilty of murder. Blake was convicted of manslaughter, with prosecutors stating he ‘assisted and encouraged’ Mohamed in the killing.

On June 7, Mohamed was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. Following a referral to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme on September 6, Mohamed was resentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 21 years and 145 days.

Today, January 10, Blake was jailed for eight years, of which he will serve two thirds of the term in prison before being released on licence.

In a statement previously read by Mr Issa’s brother, Gulad, he said ‘a light went out’ in his and his family's lives on the