18 February 2025 , 21:24
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A man has been convicted of murder after deliberately ramming an e-bike rider with his car to “teach him a lesson” for pulling a wheelie, police said.
Liam Jones, 22, died at the scene after Abdirahman Ibrahim drove into him twice and knocked him off of his electric bike in Sheldon, Birmingham.
Ibrahim, 21, of Bonham Grove, Birmingham, drove away from the scene after the cyclist was fatally injured crashing into a bollard, West Midlands Police said.
The defendant was convicted on Monday after a trial at Birmingham Crown Court, and is expected to be jailed for life when he is sentenced on March 26.
Police said Ibrahim’s brother, Abdullahi, was a passenger in his car when the crash happened.
Abdullahi Ibrahim, 21, of Acacia Close in Lewisham, London, pleaded guilty to assisting an offender at a hearing last April and is also due to be sentenced at the same hearing.
Abdullahi Ibrahim pleaded guilty to assisting an offender. Picture: West Midlands Police
Abdirahman Ibrahim first came across Mr Jones and a friend when they were riding their bikes late at night on 1 August 2023, police said.
He started to follow them in his Seat Leon and CCTV footage showed the car close behind Mr Jones, who was performing a "stand-up wheelie", the force said.
The driver kept pursuing the riders and drove into Mr Jones twice on Moat Lane in Sheldon, shortly before midnight.
After ramming into him the first time, Ibrahim increased his speed to hit Mr Jones’ bike again, forcing the rider to come off and collide with a concrete bollard.
Mr Jones was confirmed dead at the scene.
Ibrahim drove over the bike before fleeing the scene and parking his car in another neighbourhood, while his brother called for a taxi to take them home, police said.
Mr Jones died at the scene after being knocked off of his bike. Picture: West Midlands Police
Detective Inspector Nick Barnes said Abdirahman Ibrahim was "intent on causing harm" to Mr Jones and "menacingly" pursued him.
"We believe he was angered by Liam’s showboating and wanted to teach him a lesson," he said.
"Tragically, Liam lost his life and Ibrahim will now spend many years of his own young life in prison."
Meanwhile Phillip Bradley KC, prosecuting, told the court: “This was no accident. At the time of the fatal collision the defendant clearly intended to cause him really serious harm.”
Ibrahim had denied murder and admitted manslaughter but was convicted during a retrial.
The jury at his first trial had been unable to reach a verdict after Ibrahim’s defence argued that he was a “competitive” driver racing against two men on bikes.
However, prosecutor Mr Bradley revealed during the retrial that Mr Jones had only been travelling around 20mph on a 30mph residential street before he was struck while the Seat hit a speed of just 27mph.