Man jailed for life for Newham murder

A man who attacked a stranger on a night out in east London has been given a life sentence.

Hamza Kamali, 29, will serve a minimum of 25 years in jail after he was found guilty of murdering 38-year-old Saley Beya outside a nightclub in Romford Road E7 in the early hours of Saturday, 10 August 2024.

Saley’s family said in a statement: "Today marks a significant moment for our family as justice has finally been served in the case of our beloved brother, son, and friend — Saley Beya — who was brutally taken from us in August of last year.

"We welcome the court’s verdict with a mixture of relief and sorrow. Saley was a kind, generous, and deeply loved young man whose life was full of promise. His absence is felt every single day, and the pain of losing him in such a horrific way is something we will carry with us forever."

Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen, Specialist Crime North, said: “Saley’s family and loved ones have endured incredible pain and suffering over this past year as they have tried to come to terms with their terrible loss. I hope they can take some comfort in the fact his killer will be behind bars for a considerable period of time.

“Kamali’s actions that night were violent and deliberate. He went out armed with a knife - clearly intent on causing harm. We will never know what prompted his interaction with Saley, but it is clear he is a very dangerous individual with little regard for human life and I’m pleased the jury were able to recognise the threat he poses to the public.”

On the evening of Friday, 9 August Saley and his friends had attended a party in Stratford before deciding to continue their evening at a nightclub, arriving at the Romford Road venue at about 02.30hrs.

Around an hour later they were all outside when an altercation took place between one of Saley’s friends and a group of men who were known to Kamali. Shortly after, Kamali arrived at the scene and following a brief interaction with the victim the situation escalated into violence and Kamali stabbed Saley in the leg.

Saley was able to run from the scene, but he was pursued by Kamali who kicked out at him several times as he tried to get away from him. Eventually giving up his pursuit, Kamali returned to Romford Road, before leaving the scene with others.

Meanwhile Saley had succumbed to his wound and collapsed in the street. Emergency services attended and paramedics attempted to stem the bleeding, but Saley went into cardiac arrest on his way to hospital. He remained in a critical condition for nearly three weeks before sadly dying on 29 August.

Following the incident, Kamali returned to his home address. After 30 minutes he reappeared from the property wearing different clothes and carrying a full plastic bag which he was then seen to discard. That bag was never recovered.

After Kamali’s arrest on 16 August a search of his home led to the discovery of a pair of bloodstained trainers - later identified to be his own. He had a noticeable injury to his hand – a wound CCTV had shown him tending to with a tissue in the immediate aftermath of the stabbing. Blood from this injury was also found at the crime scene. It is believed he injured himself with his knife in the course of attacking Saley.

Kamali (03.04.96), who is of Henniker Road, Stratford was convicted on Tuesday, 22 July of murder and possession of an offensive weapon.

+ Abdi Ulusow, 28 (03.09.96), of Hathaway Crescent E12 and Edson Bernardo, 26 (10.07.99), of Carlton Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea appeared at the Old Bailey on 3 July where they pleaded guilty to affray and possession of an offensive weapon (machete and pole) in connection with the incident. On Thursday, 24 July both were jailed for two years.