Rapper, 19, who wrote a song boasting about killing another teenager is jailed for life for the murder
- Abdirahaman Yussuf, 19, wrote a song about the killing of Yahya Sharif, 18
- He has now been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 22 years
A young rapper who bragged about stabbing a teenager to death has today been jailed for life.
Abdirahaman Yussuf was sentenced following the death of 18-year-old Yahya Sharif who was killed just seconds after getting out of his car on December 10, 2021.
The victim tried to flee but collapsed in a pool of blood at the scene in Small Heath, Birmingham after suffering fatal injuries.
Yussuf, 19, was later arrested by police who found an envelope featuring a handwritten rap song about the murder.
Lyrics included words such as ‘ching’ and ‘flash’ – slang to describe stabbings.
Yussuf, 19, arrested by police who found an envelope featuring a handwritten rap song about the murder of 18-year-old Yahya Sharif
The song also referenced ‘Canada Goose’ – the same brand as the jacket Mr Sharif was wearing when he died.
Following a police appeal to find Yussuf, he was arrested in London on February 16 last year and was later convicted of murder by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.
Three other men with him at the time denied a charge of murder and were found not guilty following a trial. A fifth man was acquitted during the trial.
Today’s court proceedings heard a victim impact statement from the mother of Yahya.
Muna Sharif said ‘His death left a hole in my heart which can not be fixed. He was a nice, pleasant boy. He was always smiling and loved jokes.
‘He looked after his own siblings. Yahya’s death has affected everyone. I still don’t know why my son was killed. My life has been destroyed. When he died I felt he was alive in my heart.’
Icah Peart KC, defending, said the murder was ‘not premeditated.’
He added: ‘It was committed on the spur of the moment. There is a doubt whether the court can be sure of an intention to kill. There is ample evidence that he was not holding the blade against his chest.
‘It was committed in public and there was an attempt to dispose of the knife. He had just turned 19 at the time of the events. He has been in the country since he was three.
‘He was educated at a local school. He did warehouse work. He was on the verge of signing a contract with Sony. He had no previous convictions.’
Yahya Sharif, 18, was killed just seconds after getting out of his car on December 10, 2021
Yussuf, from Yardley, has now been jailed for life and will serve a minimum of 22 years.
In passing sentence today, Mr Justice Choudhury said: ‘Just after 5.20pm Mr Sharif was fatally stabbed and killed. He was only 18. You and two of your friends had gathered outside a barber’s shop. There was nothing to indicate there was any violence intended.
‘Yahya was not carrying a knife. You were carrying one because it was your choice. Your group decided to head off to another barbers.
‘At around that time Yahya had parked… he was holding a mobile phone. You paused and stabbed him in the chest. The true reason may never be known. You said you had problems with his friends.
He added: ‘The moment you stabbed him can be seen in the CCTV footage. Your knife went through his heart, the force was severe. Paramedics came on the scene but he could not be saved. The cause of death was catastrophic blood loss.
‘You claimed you did this in self-defence. The jury rejected your account. It is clear he presented no threat. He was walking to where he was going.’
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