Man shot in stomach at Walsall barbershop 'believed he was going to die'

Tehmoor Hussain suffered serious injuries when he was fired upon at Katz Kutz on Wolverhampton Road in Birchills on May 19, 2019.

The trial has heard that Mr Hussain was sitting in a barber's chair when Uzair Shahid and Toyub Ali entered the shop, at the junction with Raleigh Street, just after 5pm and confronted him about money for a car.

Mr Hussain has said that after the shooting he did not see what “Jezza” (Shahid) and Toyub did, that he took a step and felt his body give way.

He was brought out on a stretcher with a bandage around his stomach and taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham for treatment after emergency services were called.

Shahid, 21, of Lichfield Road in Walsall, is charged with attempted murder, causing grievous bodily harm with possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Ali, 19, of no fixed abode, is charged with possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear or violence.

Identification

Defending Ali yesterday, Mr Simon Rippon questioned the police’s identification of his client as a suspect.

Investigating officers Detective Constable Craig Bathgate and Det Con Louise Wylie have both given evidence at the trial.

In his closing address Mr Rippon said to the jury regarding Ali: “If you were to have a discussion about identification, I would suggest the conversation would be about the face.

“Then you would move onto height or build.

“If you spoke to DC Bathgate and he said ‘I recognise the height and build’ you would say ‘what about the face?’.

“I asked DC Wylie what was distinctive about Toyub Ali.

“Her best answer was ‘it was distinctive to me’.

“The answer is not good enough, it does not cut the mustard.

“The prosecution does not have a clear, beyond dispute picture of Toyub Ali from [May 19].”

Footage

Mr Rippon reiterated to the jury that Mr Hussain said the two people who entered the barber shop were wearing exactly the same Nike black jacket with ticks down the side.

Referring to a CCTV image of a group of men at Saddlers Tyres on Wednesbury Road, including who the police say is Toyub Ali, dated to the day of the shooting, Mr Rippon added: “To the left of him they say is Uzair Shahid and to the right is a man wearing a jacket with stripes down the arm

“If the prosecution is saying the man is Toyub Ali why is his jacket not the same?”

Mr Rippon went on to question the footage taken from Saddlers Tyres.

The owner had said he did not install the CCTV and could not tell if the date and time was right.

“It is affected by digital, technical problems,” said Mr Rippon. “The (facial recognition) expert said it is poor.

“It is no problem for DC Bathgate.

“Why would Bathgate disagree with the expert? Because it would get in the way of his identification.

To the jury Mr Rippon said: “We all have sympathy for Tehmoor Hussain – it was horrific – but you can’t let that affect your judgement.”

Both Shahid and Ali deny the charges.

The trial continues.