26 years for Harehills man who shot his supplier at close range
A drug dealer has been jailed for at least 26 years after murdering his drug supplier in cold blood as he sat waiting in his car.
Masum Ahmed, 20, lured Shuel Ali Hussain to Pasture Road, Harehills, and shot him at close range with a semi-automatic gun.
In order to prevent police linking him to the killing, Ahmed then pocketed Mr Hussain’s mobile phones.
Mr Hussain managed to reach a nearby shop from his car but died at the scene from his injuries before emergency services arrived.
Leeds Crown Court heard Ahmed was a successful drug dealer in his own right and earned up to £1,700 week from the drugs supplied to him by Mr Hussain.
Ahmed owed Mr Hussain over £30,000 for over a kilo of heroin and this may have been the motive for the murder.
Detective Inspector Richard Holmes, of West Yorkshire Police Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said: “Shuel Ali Hussain’s murder was a completely unnecessary act of violence that shows the appallingly tragic consequences that can result when people are prepared to carry and use firearms.
“His murder was the subject of a comprehensive investigation which quickly led to the arrest of those involved, both in the murder itself and in attempts to cover up.
“Mr Hussain’s family have been left devastated at his sudden and violent death at such a relatively young age. We hope they will take some degree of comfort from knowing that the people involved have now had to face the consequences of their actions.
“This case clearly illustrates the human cost of the criminal use of firearms in our communities. West Yorkshire Police will continue to use all available tactics to proactively target those criminals who present this most serious of risks.”
