A man has been sentenced to life behind bars for the murder of 22-year-old Badri Issa in Moss Side last year.
22-year-old Raami Mohamed, from Manchester, was found guilty of murder following a two week trial at Manchester Crown Court, and was subsequently sentenced to to life with a minimum term of 18 years last Friday (7 June 2024).
Another man, who has been named as Kevell Blake, was also found guilty of manslaughter, and is to be sentenced at a later date.
It sentencing comes after Badri Issa met up with his friend to go to their regular gym class on Wednesday 25 October 2023, and as they travelled along Princess Road towards Manchester city centre, they noticed a white car driving next to them and trying to get their attention.
Raami Mohamed – who was driving the white vehicle – gestured for Badri’s friend, Omar Jeylaani, to pull over, and both cars turned onto Moss Lane East and parked in the bus layby.
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Badri Issa, pictured on the day of his graduation / Credit: GMP (via Family Handout)
According to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) Badri’s friend got out of the car, but was confronted by Mohamed, who appeared agitated and aggressive, and so Badri got out of the car to try and de-escalate the situation, but was stabbed in the process, and as he collapsed, the men then continued a violent assault on Badri’s friend.
The horrific events all played out in broad daylight, GMP revealed – with a number of passers-by and commuters attempting to intervene.
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Once emergency services attended the scene, Badri was taken to hospital for further treatment, but sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, he later died as a result of his injuries.
Following Badri’s passing, GMP’s Major Incident Team launched an investigation.
After hours of looking through CCTV enquiries, police were able to build a picture of the suspect’s movements in the days and hours before the attack.
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The car that Mohamed and Blake were in was soon located in a car park on Arrow Street in Manchester, and was recovered for the forensic examination, where the blood of the victim was detected near the gear stick.
#JAILED | The killer of Badri Issa has received a life sentence with a minimum term of 18 years.
Raami Mohamed was previously found guilty of murder
Paying tribute, Badri's family said he was 'a friend, a confidant, and a beacon of light'
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 7, 2024
A warrant was executed at Mohamed’s last known address, but despite him not being present, police seized evidence linking him to the white car, and leading to him being arrested on Heaton Street in Prestwich later that evening, all before another warrant was executed at the home address of Kevell Blake where police seized crucial items of clothing which were consistent with what was worn in the hours after the attack.
Telecommunications data revealed “extensive contact between the pair in the lead up to the attack”, according to GMP.
“Badri Issa was so young when he lost his life in the most tragic way,” commented Detective Chief Inspector Andy Naismith, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, following Mohamed’s sentencing last week.
“Having just graduated from university, he was on the cusp of starting a new life, a new career, and reaching new milestones, but he paid the ultimate price for trying to de-escalate a situation.
“Since day one, Badri has been at the heart of our investigation, and we have had teams of officers working around the clock to find answers for his family. I know that no outcome will ever lessen the pain his family feel, but I hope that today’s sentencing goes some way to giving his loved ones some comfort knowing that his killers are behind bars.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Tributes paid to ‘trailblazing’ Manchester councillor Pat Karney who’s died at age 78
Emily Sergeant
Heartfelt tributes are being paid following the death of ‘trailblazing’ Manchester councillor, Pat Karney, at the age of 78.
It’s said that he had been receiving treatment for cancer at The Christie.
A longstanding Labour Party politician, Pat had represented Harpurhey as a councillor since 1979, as well as being a Lead Member for the City Centre during that time. He was most-notably responsible for setting up the now-iconic Manchester Day festival, as well as being a supporter and one of the key figures in the organising of Manchester’s annual Christmas Markets.
Pat was affectionately known to many across Greater Manchester as ‘Mr Manchester’ or ‘Mr Christmas’, thanks to his deep love of the city and the festive season.
Also throughout his career, Pat was one of the pivotal figures in the regeneration of the city centre after it was devastated by the 1996 IRA bombing.
He was also said to be ‘proud’ of the role he played in standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, especially in the 1980s when Manchester City Council fought against the discriminatory Clause 28 (of the Local Government Act 1988) introduced by the Thatcher Government.
Manchester City Council Leader Garry Bridges, Council Chief Executive Tom Stannard, and Greater Manchester’s former Night Time Economy Adviser Sacha Lord are some of the well-known names leading the tributes to Pat.
RIP Councillor Pat Karney.
In 2006, when I came up with the idea of The Warehouse Project, it was laughed off.
Pat believed in it and helped it happen.
A visionary. A pioneer. A true Mancunian.#RIPPatKarney
Cllr Bridges called Pat a ‘giant of Manchester politics’, while Lord described him as ‘a visionary, a pioneer, and a true Mancunian’.
One of the most prominent tributes has been paid by Greater Manchester Mayor, and former Council Leader, Bev Craig – who said Pat will ‘always be in our hearts’.
Her tribute reads in full: “Across Manchester and across politics, many will mourn the loss of Pat Karney, a force of nature who served our city for half a century. My thoughts are with his family, who he treasured and adored, at this difficult time. He will always be in our hearts.
“Affectionately known by many as Mr Manchester, Pat was one of the city’s most recognisable figures. Through Manchester’s renaissance, Pat championed making our city what it is today from the regeneration of the city centre, improving the health of Manchester people, to the creation of Manchester Day – he was incredibly proud of Manchester and recognised the need to bring people together.
“A local north Manchester boy, he championed Manchester while ferociously fighting for the people of Harpuhey and Collyhurst. He delivered on the ground from new council housing and a GP surgery to championing a new North Manchester Hospital.
“Pat was one of a kind, passionate, determined, sharp and quick witted, but he was also thoughtful, kind and supportive. He will be remembered too for his sense of fun.
“A private man, he was in many ways a trailblazer in politics, someone who sacrificed a lot to be himself he championed the gay village and LGBT equality, he paved the way for generations who came after him.
“Working together for over 15 years we became good friends and like many I will miss him- but also make sure his achievements are celebrated in a way that he would be proud of.”
Featured Image – Cllr Pat Karney / Manchester City Council
News
Details released of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners while Mayor
Emily Sergeant
Details of Andy Burnham’s meetings with Manchester City owners during his tenure as Mayor of Greater Manchester have been released.
In case you need bringing up to speed on the situation a little first, Manchester City was found guilty back in September all of its charges related to the Premier League’s financial rules over a nine-season period, and on top of that, was also found guilty of the majority of charges in relation to its failure to co-operate with the League’s investigation.
According to the Premier League, the independent Commission found that Manchester City had arranged so-called ‘sham’ commercial deals with a number of its sponsors.
These were part of a disguised funding scheme – with those sponsors only required to pay a portion of the relevant sponsorship fees.
The remainder was then funded by Abu Dhabi United Group Investment & Development Ltd (ADUG), which owned the club.
The Commission also concluded, as quoted by the Premier League, that the club had ‘made concerted efforts to stop and frustrate the Premier League investigation’.
Within the past week or so, it has since come to light that now-Prime Minister Andy Burnham had dealings with Manchester City during his tenure as Greater Manchester Mayor, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has now issued a public statement, giving details on the matter and what these ‘dealings’ entailed.
A spokesperson for GMCA confirmed that Burnham had a ‘formal meeting’ with Man City Chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, back in October 2021.
The statement reads in full: “In October 2021, Andy Burnham, in his role as Mayor of Greater Manchester, had a formal meeting with Khaldoon Al Mubarak at the UK Government’s Global Investment Summit arranged by the Department for International Trade.
“In his capacity as Mayor, he was a guest of Manchester City FC at home matches on a small number of occasions, including attending Vincent Kompany’s testimonial match in September 2019, where he met the Chairman informally in the stands. These have been declared in the usual way.
“Also during his time as Mayor, representatives of Greater Manchester sporting clubs would routinely join business delegations as part of Mayoral international visits.
“This included representatives from Manchester United travelling to Austin and Dublin, Lancashire Cricket Club joining a delegation to India, and Manchester City FC staff supporting visits to China and Japan.”
Featured Image – Lauren Hurley / Number 10 Downing Street (Press Image via Flickr)
Emily Sergeant -
10th June 2024 
