Brother of murder victim 'sent chilling gun video' before point-blank killing
The brother of murder victim Mohammed Haroon Zeb was sent a chilling video of a man holding a gun in the days before the taxi firm boss was shot dead, a trial heard.
Bullets were matched to the revolver in the video, showing three men in a car and another holding the weapon in front of the vehicle, which was filmed on Snapchat and sent via WhatsApp, Wolverhampton Crown court was told.
The murder was the latest instalment of a long-running feud between two families from Dudley and Himley.
Prosecutor James Curtis explained the catalyst for the escalation in the violence.
He said: "Akeel was run down by a 4x4 on January 20 in Dudley High Street, he received hospital treatment for injuries including a damaged ankle, bruises and cuts and is put on crutches.
"Akeel is the brother of Nabeel Choudhary who was convicted of the murder of Yasir Hussain and had that appeal rejected. Inevitably that heightens the repeatedly escalating tensions between the group, that is the trigger incident for this murder."
The following eight people, all from Dudley, have all been charged with conspiracy to murder:
Hassan Tasleem, 24, of Richmond Road
Arkarsh Tasleem, 26, of Shaw Road
Choudhary Naheim Rashid, 47, of Kingswinford Road
Choudhary Akeel Hussain, 21, of Brook Street
Gurdeep Sandhu, 23, of Blowers Green Road
Mohammed Rafiq, 20, of Gammag Street
Umar Ali, 20, of Blowers Green Road
Shamraz Ali, 20, of Tanfield Road
Hassan Tasleem, Choudhary Naheim Rashid, Gurdeep Sandhu, and Umar Ali have also been charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.
And Sanna Iqbal, 27, of Hordern Road, Wolverhampton, has been charged with assisting an offender - her boyfriend Hassan Tasleem.
Another man who police believe was in the car at the time of the killing, Sikander Ali, escaped out of the country before he could be arrested
The court heard how Iqbal had booked an Airbnb in Edgbaston, Birmingham, for a week in the run-up to the murder as a 'safe house' where the defendants could plot the killing of father-of-four Mr Zeb.
Phone activity between the defendants was shown to the jury with an "unusual spike" in texts and calls as the killing approached.
Mr Curtis said: "There was an unusually high call volume on January 30. These were the last moment arrangements."
Mobile phone data also showed the defendants were all in the same place: the Red Couch cafe, Erdington High Street, Birmingham.
The trial continues.
