Two found guilty of murdering Dagenham man

Two men have been found guilty of murdering a man in Dagenham after police linked them to the crime by reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV evidence.

On Wednesday, 29 October, a jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court found Frankie Burletson, 25 (10.02.2000) of Arden Crescent, Dagenham, and Swayf Amana, 27 (01.04.1998), of Brittain Road, Dagenham, guilty of murdering 23-year-old Haseeb Bhatti in April 2024 and causing grievous bodily harm with intent on another man.

Haiden Khalik-Noor, 19 (06.10.06) of Bentry Road, Dagenham was found not guilty of the same charges.

Haseeb was with associates in Rothwell Gardens in the early hours of Saturday, 20 April, when a group of five men armed with knives pulled up in a Mercedes and attacked the group.

At around 01:30hrs on Saturday, 20 April, police were alerted by the London Ambulance Service to reports that a man had been stabbed at the location.

Officers responded and initially found a 50-year-old man with stab wounds, who was taken to hospital and later discharged.

However, a short time later, they found Haseeb in nearby Flamstead Road, who had also been stabbed. Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, he died at the scene.

In a statement, the victim's family said:

"Our son was our world, and losing Haseeb has broken us completely. The pain is with us every moment of every day.

"Those responsible have shown no remorse for what they have done to our family. We’re praying that justice will be served for our beautiful boy."

An extensive Met Police investigation saw officers review mobile phone records, numberplate data and hundreds of hours of CCTV footage. Using this, detectives were able to link the suspects to the crime scene.

Having identified the suspects, the investigation team then made enquiries into their movements before the stabbings. They found extensive evidence of pre-planning – including the purchase of balaclavas and gloves.

Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Carberry, who led the investigation, said:

“Firstly, my thoughts remain with the family of Haseeb, who despite losing a much-loved member of their family in the most horrific of circumstances, have remained dignified throughout the investigation and trial.

“Their lives will never be the same following the actions of Burletson, Amana and others, whose sole purpose that evening was to cause harm to the victim group in a coordinated, vicious attack.

“These two men will now face the consequences of their actions. I hope that this will bring some peace to Haseeb’s family, and also to the second man stabbed in this attack.”

On 24 April 2024, police arrested Burletson on suspicion of murder and charged him with the offence two days later.

Amana was arrested on 27 May 2024 and charged with murder and attempted murder on 28 May 2024.

The two convicted men will be sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Friday, 31 October.