A gang who used the dating app Grindr to lure four men to parks in Birmingham where they would be brutally attacked and robbed have been jailed.
Demalji Hadza, 21, Abubaker Alezawy, 21, Ali Hassan, 20, Wasim Omar, 24, and Mohammed Sharif, 22, suceeded in stealing £100,000 over a 10-month period and left their victims fearing for their lives.
In some cases, their victims were held for hours as they were forced to hand over their bank details and agree to large transactions.
The violent robbers have now been jailed for nearly 80 years combined, with sentences ranging from 12 to 17 years. Hadza and Alezawy pleaded guilty early in the trial, and the remaining three were found guilty on 17 September 2024 after a six-week trial.
The men’s sentences in full are:
- Demalji Hadza – 16 years and two months
- Abubaker Alezawy – 16 years and five months
- Ali Hassan – 16 years and nine months
- Wasim Omar – 17 years and three months
- Mohammed Sharif – 12 years and three months
The court heard that the violent robbers began using fake accounts on Grindr, a dating app targeted at gay and bisexual men, and transgender people, in April 2023, and would entice their victims to Golden Hillock sports ground car park, where they would be set upon by an armed gang.
Speaking after today’s sentencing, detective constable Sarah Byrne, commended the “victims’ bravery in sharing their accounts” with police and expressed hope that the sentences would “bring closure for the victims.”
Crown prosecutor Georgina Davies previously told the court the men specifically targeted members of the LGBTQ+ community to rob them of their money and belongings.
Ms Davies said: “They may have thought that the victims would not report the offences, but we were able to hold all five defendants accountable for their actions.”
“We worked very closely with the police to gather all the evidence against the defendants, building a strong case for prosecution. CCTV footage, witness testimony, and mobile data all played a role in securing this conviction,” she added.
One victim dislocated his shoulder when he was punched and pinned to the ground, with the gang holding his phone to his face to use facial recognition to access his banking apps. They succeeded in stealing more than £25,000 from his accounts, and made him call the bank to say the transfer was legitimate.
Another victim suffered the same fate with the gang stealing over £20,000 from his bank accounts at knifepoint.
Birmingham Crown Court also heard that the group had targeted four other victims by tricking them as they walked through quiet spots in Derby and Birmingham.
During the early hours of 25 April 2023, they pretended to be injured on Markeaton Street, Derby, to target two men who were walking home from a nightclub. As the victims offered to help, they were dragged into a grassy area before the gang assaulted, robbed, and forced them to hand over the pin codes to their phones.
In May 2023, one of the gang members approached a cyclist asking for help, claiming that his mother had been stabbed. When the victim offered his assistance, he was attacked and was forced to hand over his phone, wallet and jewellery.
Their fourth victim was tricked after the attackers promised him a lift home in their van. Many of those they targeted required treatment in hospital, having suffered broken eye sockets and a broken nose.
Det Insp Tom Lyons, from Birmingham LPA, also commended the “huge amount of bravery and courage” displayed by the victims who came forward.
The jailed men had deliberately targeted the victims in the belief that they were “vulnerable, easy targets,” he added.
