Nine men jailed for total of 170 years following drive-by shooting during night of violence in Bedord

Nine men have been jailed for a total of 170 years following a night of gang warfare in 2016 - in what is Beds Police's biggest ever prison sentencing.
Mohammed IslamMohammed Islam
Mohammed Islam

Yesterday (April 19), Mohammed Islam, 22, of Iddesleigh Road, Bedford, and Shozel Ahmed, 23, of Foxglove Way, Bedford, were sentenced to 16 years each for their part in the violence.

The convictions were in relation to a series of incidents on Friday 8 July 8, into Saturday 9 July, 2016.

Police were initially called to reports of a drive-by shooting with automatic weapons in Faraday Square on Friday July 8, in which a woman was shot in the arm. During the night, two gangs continued to fire retaliation shots at each other.

Shozel AhmedShozel Ahmed
Shozel Ahmed

Previously, seven other men were sentenced to a total of 138 years for their part in the night of violence, which the sentencing judge described as ‘a scene more reminiscent of Chicago in the 1920s’.

The combined sentence for the nine men of 170 years makes it the biggest group sentence that Bedfordshire Police has ever secured.

Detective Chief Inspector Will Hawkes, senior investigating officer for the case, said: “This was a complex and lengthy investigation into what was a truly shocking course of events one summer night in 2016, and I’m delighted we have managed to achieve such significant sentences against these dangerous individuals.

“The sentencing is testament to the incredible hard work and commitment shown by the small team in charge of this case, and I’d like to thank all those involved, including the first responders on the night, the investigation team, CPS, and the barristers, for their dedication to bringing these men to justice.

Shozel AhmedShozel Ahmed
Shozel Ahmed

“It’s extremely lucky that no-one died as a result of the actions of these men and the severity of the sentences reflects just how dangerous their actions were.

“We will not tolerate gang related violence in Bedfordshire, and we’re working hard alongside our partner agencies to tackle this type of criminality. This sentence shows that the law will take a very firm line against those who think it’s acceptable to inflict fear and violence on their communities in this way.”

The six men sentenced in November 2017 were:

> Mohammed Waez, 21, of Lovell Road, Bedford was sentenced to 22 years

> Shuheb Ali, 19, of Ashmead Road, Bedford was sentenced to 20 years

> Abul Faiz, 21, of Collie Road, Bedford was sentenced to 22 years

> Kierran Hall, 21, of Grange Close, Houghton Conquest was sentenced to 20 years

> Ryan Cockings, 20, of Whitby Bay, Bedford was sentenced to 15 years

> Tavon Carter, 21, of Romsey Way, Bedford was sentenced to 20 years

One man sentenced in February 2018.

> Abdul Kadir, 38, of Dunham Close Bedford was sentenced to 19 years

Two men sentenced in April 2018

> Shozel Ahmed, 23, of Foxglove Way Bedford was sentenced to 16 years

> Mohammed Islam, 22, of Iddesleigh Road Bedford was sentenced to 16 years.

Related topics: