Seven Jailed for Nearly 130 Years in Petrol Bomb Revenge Attack

Seven men have been sentenced to a total of 129 years in prison for a petrol bomb attack that left a mother and her teenage daughter with severe burns and life-threatening injuries. The attack, which occurred on December 16, 2021, at an address in Stoke-on-Trent, was carried out in revenge for a stabbing incident earlier that day.

During a violent disorder in a Normacot street, Kashif Ahmed was stabbed in the shoulder by Naveed Hussain. Following this incident, members of Hussain's group mobilized for a retaliatory attack on an address in Beverley Drive, Bentilee, where the intended victim was believed to be Hussain, who was the ex-partner of the woman living there.

The court heard that two cars containing nine men, including the seven defendants, drove to the victim's home. The mother attempted to close the door on the intruders, but they broke a window and threw petrol inside. The prosecutor stated that the mother heard a match being lit and her clothes caught fire, suffering 45% burns to her head, neck, legs, and upper arms, along with severe inhalation injuries and fractures. Her 13-year-old daughter also sustained 12% burns and required skin grafts.

Details of the sentencing are as follows:

• Shakil Uddin, 23, was jailed for 34 years after being convicted of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life.
• Ali Abbas, 22, pleaded guilty to arson with intent to endanger life and two charges of attempted murder, receiving a 25-year sentence.
• Haris Mahmood, 22, pleaded guilty to attempted murder and two charges of arson with intent to endanger life, and was sentenced to 23 years and nine months.
• Riyadh Iqbal, 23, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent, receiving a 12-and-a-half-year sentence.
• Lukman Khan, 24, was found guilty of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent, also sentenced to 12-and-a-half years.
• Muhammad Sufyaan-Shah, 25, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and received an 11-and-a-half-year sentence.
• Tayyeb Majeed, 24, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and sentenced to 10-and-a-half years.

Police investigations revealed that Mahmood and Uddin purchased petrol in cans from a gas station prior to the attack. The judge described the scene as horrific and noted that the mother's injuries were initially considered life-threatening. The defendants are required to serve two-thirds of their sentences before being eligible for release on license. One man involved in the incident has fled the jurisdiction, and another individual remains unidentified.