Ambush killer's mother found guilty of lying to police to try to stop son's arrest

The mother of a teenage convicted killer has been found guilty of lying to police in a bid to stop her son's arrest.

Bintu Conteh, from Reading, was found guilty of one count of perverting the course of justice in a trial at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday 24 May.

Raheem Hanif was aged 26 when he was fatally stabbed in an ambush attack in Tilehurst on 6 February 2021.

Bintu Conteh's son Shekuh Conteh, 17, was among four jailed for the ambush killing.

Abas Khan, 24, and Kamran Chowdary, 18, were found guilty of murder at Reading Crown Court.

They were ordered to serve minimum sentences of 26 and 14 years respectively. Two other defendants were jailed for manslaughter.

Humzah Sikander, 18, and Shekuh Conteh, 17, were sentenced to six and four years' detention in a young offender institution, respectively.

Bintu Conteh, 39, made a false report to the police about the robbery of a mobile phone in an attempt to prevent her son from being implicated in Mr Hanif's death.

The phone was often used by her son, and on 8 February 2021, she called 999 claiming that her phone had been stolen.

She lied about this to avoid Thames Valley Police linking the phone to Sheku Conteh.

Senior investigating officer Detective Superintendent Stuart Bosley, of the Major Crime Unit, said: “Bintu Conteh deliberately attempted to frustrate our investigation into the death of Raheem Hanif, and knowingly misled police by telling lies around the theft of her phone, which was linked to her son, Sheku.

“Where we identify offences that seek to frustrate, delay or harm investigations, we will always look to seek a prosecution as we are absolutely committed to protecting the criminal justice process and bring offenders before the courts in a timely manner.”

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