Three men guilty of chasing and stabbing teenager Fahad Nur to death
Three men who trapped a teenager in a lane before stabbing him to death have been found guilty of murder.
Fahad Nur, 18, suffered 21 knife wounds - including five to his back - after being chased through Cathays in Cardiff and into a lane behind Cardiff University Students' Union.
Fahad was left for dead after the attack by Mustafa Aldobhani, 22, his brother Abdulgalil Aldobhani, 23, and Shaffique Shaddad, 25.
Members of the public tried to help the teenager while emergency services arrived, but he died at the University Hospital of Wales about an hour after the attack.
Aseel Arar, 35, the girlfriend of Abdulgalil Aldobhani, bought flight tickets for the two of them to Morocco via Portugal but they were arrested at Heathrow as they boarded the aircraft.
Rhodri Thomas of the CPS said: “This case was about a young man being cornered in a busy thoroughfare and repeatedly stabbed in a merciless attack.
“Those responsible left the city trying to distance themselves from the brutal killing they had carried out, including an attempt to flee the country.
“We thank the witnesses who came forward with crucial evidence and the South Wales Police team whose tireless work allowed the CPS to present a strong case to the jury. However, our thoughts are for the family and friends of the victim.”
In a statement, Fahad Nur's sister, Filsan Nur, said losing her brother had been "so incredibly hard."
She said: "Whilst he was on his own in a dark lane, Fahad was ambushed and stabbed to death in such a cowardly and vicious attack. How can anyone ever even try to justify hurting him like that when he was clearly running away? It’s terribly painful and distressing thinking that the last emotion my young brother had was fear, and the last memory he would have had was of being stabbed and kicked repeatedly.
"Nobody has ever shown an ounce of remorse throughout this entire ordeal. My family and I have had to endure a court trial, whilst seeing the accused giving excuses and denying any part in my brother’s death.
"My brother has been talked about like he was a horrible and violent person. My brother was none of these things. Nobody here knows the real Fahad, and now he will never be able to show the world his true nature. He was a young, educated boy. He had only lived just over eighteen years of his life. He had qualifications, continued with his education passed school and had taken his first steps to get a job –he had ambitions and dreams, none of which he will now be able to accomplish.
"His future was cruelly stolen from him. We will never see him get a job, fall in love, get married, have children or grow old. He will never share these things with us, and we can’t now share our lives with him. The memory of my poor mother having to identify my brother, her youngest child, at the mortuary is something that I will never forget."
Detective Chief Inspector Mark O’Shea from South Wales Police said: “Fahad Nur had turned 18 just two weeks before he was stabbed to death in a cowardly attack by Mustafa Aldobhani, his brother Abdulgalil and Shafique Shaddad.
"Fahad was alone unarmed and deliberately targeted following a trivial dispute.
"The level of violence and ferocity was unjustified and unprovoked.
"Today they have been found guilty of his murder.
"I wish to pay tribute to Fahad’s grief-stricken family who have shown immense dignity throughout this inquiry.
"They have had to endure harrowing evidence during the trial; which has lasted nearly two months at Cardiff Crown Court.
"His mum Zhara has heard details of her son’s death that no mother should ever have to listen to.
"I hope today’s verdict gives Zhara and her family some measure of comfort.
"In relation to the incident itself I would like to pay tribute to those individuals who tried to save Fahad’s life during the early hours of June 2, 2019.
"Medical students, university security staff, police medics and the NHS trauma doctors did everything they could to save him both at the scene and at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
"I am extremely grateful to the community of Cardiff for the support given to our investigation, particularly from Cardiff's Somali and Yemeni communities.
"The witness evidence provided by all those members of our community who came to court was essential and I am grateful for the support provided by all those who came forward to help my team.
"This tragic case yet again highlights the devastating and far-reaching consequences of knife crime."
Mustafa Aldobhani, Abdulgalil Aldobhani, and Shaddad, all of Cardiff, were found guilty of murder after a ten week trial.
Arar, of Birmingham, was convicted of assisting an offender.
They will return to Cardiff Crown Court for sentence.