Man charged over gun murder

Jul 18 2007 By Mark Cowan, Birmingham Mail

A MAN has been charged with murdering a young dad shot dead in a hail of bullets four years ago - after police raided a house and found two Uzi machine guns.

West Midlands Police said the 41-year-old was due before magistrates in Birmingham today accused of the murder of Mohammed Sabir.

The man was arrested in a police swoop on a house yesterday morning.

During the raid police recovered a number of firearms including two Uzi-type machine pistols.

The man was also charged with possession of firearms.

A second man, aged 23, was also charged with possession of firearms. He was also due to appear before magistrates today.

Mr Sabir was gunned down as he stood talking to a group of men outside a kebab shop in Lozells Road, Handsworth, on April 14, 2003.

He was approached from behind by his killer who opened fire at close range, hitting him in the head and chest.

At the time police said the father-of-two, who lived in Lozells with his wife, one-year-old daughter and son of four, and parents, was specifically targeted.

A police spokesman said: "A West Midlands man has been charged with murder and is due to appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court today. He has also been charged with possession of firearms.

"Another West Midlands man has been charged with possession of firearms and is also due to appear at court.

"A number of firearms including two Uzi type machine pistols were recovered from a property in Birmingham following the arrest on Tuesday."

Last November, Mr Sabir's brother Mohammed Basharat, 24, was shot dead as he worked in his convenience store in Lozells.

Earlier this month, the Birmingham Mail printed chilling images of the moments before he was killed by a sinister, hooded killer brandishing a sawn-off shotgun.

There are no links between the two killings.