Sacad Ali The sentencing remarks of The Recorder of Sheffield, Judge Jeremy Richarsdon KC

Sacad Ali, aged 24, died after he was knifed in an attack at Ponderosa Park, Netherthorpe, in the early hours of March 9, 2024.

Transcript

00:00I make it plain to you and to others that the sentence of the court will be imprisonment

00:08for life in the case of you, More. In respect of you, Griffin and Douglas, it will be detention

00:19at His Majesty's pleasure, because of the ages you were when you committed the crime

00:25of murder. You were both under 18 years. I am required by law to impose those sentences.

00:37I am also required to set the minimum term you must each serve in full before you are

00:43able to apply to the Parole Board for release on licence. You may only be released if the

00:50Parole Board consider it is safe to do so. That time will be many years ahead.

01:00The sentences of life imprisonment and the sentence of detention at His Majesty's pleasure,

01:07which is in effect a life sentence, are designed to protect the public. It is clear from the

01:16personal statement of the mother of the deceased that he was much loved by his family and his

01:24death has had an extremely adverse impact upon them. It is clear they appear to have

01:33been unaware he was a drug dealer. You, Griffin and Douglas, have no previous convictions.

01:42In your case, Douglas, there is a conditional caution for possession of a Class B drug

01:47with intent to supply. I shall ignore that. I must take into account you were both drug

01:54dealing via the Frank line, but you have no convictions. In your case, More, you have

02:02several previous convictions, which include possession of an offensive weapon in a public

02:09place, possession of drugs, offences of assault, including assaulting emergency workers. You

02:17also have cautions for crimes of violence. I note this previous criminality, but it is

02:23not going to govern or influence the sentence in this case. You were a drug addict. You

02:32were also an alcoholic. You had, as a consequence, a close connection to drug dealers and the

02:41Frank line. If ever there was a case that demonstrates the twin evils of drug peddling

02:53and carrying knives, particularly young people carrying knives, this is it. Second, this

03:07case demonstrates what can happen when young people get embroiled in drug peddling and

03:16a drug-related turf war erupts.