Analysis of phone data and CCTV footage results in murder conviction

A man has been convicted of the murder of 23-year-old Yahye Ahmed in Islington after detectives trawled through CCTV footage to place him at the scene.

Ibrahim Elkadmiri, 31 (28.06.93) of, Axminster Road, N7, appeared for trial at Woolwich Crown Court where, on Monday, 29 July, he was found guilty of the murder of Yahye Ahmed.

Ahmed Abdi Ahmed, 34 (20.01.90) of Waldegrave Road, N8, was convicted at the same hearing of assisting an offender.

Both are remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Wednesday, 25 September.

The court heard that at around midday on 30 August 2023, Yahye Ahmed was with a group of his friends outside a café on Axminster Road in Islington.

When the victim saw the defendant, Elkadmiri, walk by the café, he armed himself with a baseball bat and followed him.

Detective Sergeant Devan Taylor of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “Despite an extensive investigation, we may never know what the dispute was between the victim and Elkadmiri, but we do know that the confrontation was violent in the extreme and ended a young man’s life.

“I would like to thank everyone who engaged with our investigation. I understand that becoming involved in a murder investigation can be a daunting prospect and to those people who came forward with information, you have my gratitude. Your actions have helped take a dangerous person off the streets of London.”

CCTV seized by officers showed the victim following the defendant along the road holding the baseball bat. The confrontation between the two took place off camera, however, eye witness testimony and dash-cam footage confirmed that Elkadmiri had produced a large knife from his waistband that he used to stab Yahye five times.

Yahye’s friends, who had been running toward the confrontation, stopped abruptly when they saw Elkadmiri holding the knife and the baseball bat, and the victim on the floor. They all left the scene.

Elkadmiri fled the scene on foot. As he left he threw the baseball bat in a wheelie bin. This was later recovered by officers.

Emergency services were called and a passing ambulance also stopped. Medics fought to save Yahye but sadly, their efforts were unsuccessful and he died at the scene.

Further CCTV enquiries showed Elkadmiri speaking to someone on his phone. He made four calls to the same number, one lasting for 16 minutes. It was later found that those calls were to the second defendant, Ahmed Ahmed, arranging for him to pick him up.

Ahmed drove his BMW to collect Elkadmiri at Hermitage Road in Tottenham and the two drove away together – this was confirmed by the examination of their mobile phone cell site data which showed that following the calls made to Ahmed by Elkadmiri, Ahmed had left his home address and travelled toward Hermitage Road, following which, their phones were travelling together to the address of a friend of Elkadmiri where he would lie low.

Ahmed’s movements were confirmed by the on-board computer in his BMW. He had left Elkadmiri at his friend’s address and gone to a sports shop in Wood Green where he purchased a grey tracksuit. The receipt for this transaction was later recovered by officers at the address where Elkadmiri was hiding.

Elkadmiri was later seen on CCTV wearing the grey tracksuit. He was also seen to dispose of a carrier bag in a wheelie bin. This bag, later recovered by officers, contained the clothes he had been wearing at the time of the murder.

DS Taylor added: “Elkadmiri, with the support of Ahmed, did everything he could to get away with murder. He disposed of the victim’s baseball bat, escaped the scene in Ahmed’s BMW, laid low at an address nearby, changed into fresh clothes and was seen on CCTV disposing of the clothing he wore at the time of the stabbing. Then, later that evening, he disposed of his mobile phone.

“His efforts to cover his tracks were not enough. He was arrested on 3 September 2023. Ahmed Ahmed was arrested on 4 September and claimed that Elkadmiri was a good friend whom he had picked up, but that he was unaware of the stabbing.

“I am pleased that the jury were able to see through the accounts given by the defendants. This case clearly highlights the consequences of carrying weapons and using them in violent crime.

“There is nothing that can bring Yahye back to his family. I hope that the verdicts handed down bring them a measure of peace in knowing that justice has been done.”

+ Any young people who have information about violence or knife crime, can visit www.fearless.org where they can pass on information anonymously – your I.P address will not be traced. Fearless is part of the Crimestoppers charity, and is also independent of the police.