Trio jailed for murdering rival drug dealer

Two teenagers and a sex worker who plotted the murder of a rival drug dealer have been handed life sentences.

Sacad Ali, 24, was lured to Sheffield's Ponderosa Park by Rebecca Moore where he was ambushed and stabbed to death by Barney Griffin and Jack Douglas for dealing "on their turf".

Griffin was sentenced to a minimum detention of 16 years while Douglas was told he would be detained for at least 15 years. Moore was jailed for a minimum of 15 years.

Sentencing the trio, the Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richardson KC, said: "You were all in this together. All three of you committed murder."

Griffin, 18, of Dixon Drive, Sheffield, and Douglas, 17, of Brightholmlee Lane, Sheffield, both pleaded guilty to murder and possession of a bladed article.

Moore, of Springvale Walk, Sheffield, was convicted of murder after a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

During Moore's trial the court heard how the teenagers, who had been running a drugs line in Sheffield, teamed up with drug user and sex worker Moore to attack Mr Ali in the early hours of 9 March.

Prosecutor Simon Kealey KC said Moore had acted as "bait" to lure him to the park, promising to buy crack cocaine from Mr Ali and offering him "sexual favours".

Moore and Mr Ali met at the communal park where he was stabbed 16 times by Griffin and Douglas and left to "bleed to death".

The jury was told Griffin and Douglas then fled the scene, with Moore leaving a short time later.

Griffin and Douglas handed themselves in to police on 12 March, while Moore was arrested later that day. All three were charged the following day.

Moore protested her innocence throughout her trial, despite evidence that suggested she had "boasted" and "laughed" about setting up the attack.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Richardson said: "The actual act of killing was perpetrated by you, Griffin and Douglas, [but] the murder was set up by all three of you.

"It was your task, Moore, to lure the deceased to the location and to his death.

"If ever there was a case that demonstrates the twin evils of drug peddling and carrying knives, particularly young people carrying knives, this is it.

"This case demonstrates what can happen when young people get embroiled in drug peddling and a drug-related turf ware erupts."

He said while he did not believe Griffin and Douglas had set up the drugs line once they had been "recruited or corrupted to enter the fetid swamp of drug dealing" they had "wallowed in that swamp".

In a statement read out in court, Mr Ali's mother said her family would never recover from his death.

She said: "I lost a part of myself when my son was taken away from me in such a violent and brutal manner.

"None of Sacad's family will be able to hug him, hear him talk, or hear his joyous laugh.

"Our lives have become empty and desolate every day we are reminded of our loss."

Speaking outside court Det Ch Insp Ben Wood said: "The two teenagers murdered Sacad in a barbaric way, with Moore also murdering him by duping him into meeting and luring him to the spot where he would be brutally attacked.

"Rather than admit her guilt, Moore then made Sacad's loved ones relive the events of the day he died by making them endure a trial in court, after which she was found guilty of murder."

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