Alleyway murder pair jailed over man's stab death

Thapelo Jali, 21, died shortly after he was found critically injured in an alleyway

Two murderers have been jailed for life after a man was stabbed to death in an alleyway.

Thapelo Jali, 21, from Stafford, died after he was found critically injured off Buccleuch Road in Normacot, Stoke-on-Trent, in the early hours of 22 July 2024.

Brothers Tayyab Hussain, 27, and Ezaan Hussain, 22, both of Chapel Road, Stoke-on-Trent, were jailed for a minimum of 21 years and 20 years respectively at Leicester Crown Court, after pleading guilty to Mr Jali's murder, in July.

A third brother Tuheed Hussain, 24, also of Chaplin Road, was sentenced to 11 years in prison after he was found guilty of manslaughter on Monday.

Four others who were charged with Mr Jali's murder were acquitted during Monday's hearing.

Tayyab Hussain, left, and Ezaan Hussain pleaded guilty to Mr Jali's murder

Mr Jali's killing came as a result of a dispute between him and Tuheed Hussain, Staffordshire Police said.

On 20 July 2024, there was a crash involving a Volkswagen T-Roc, registered to Mr Jali's girlfriend, and a Honda Civic driven by Tuheed.

Tuheed and Ezaan smashed the windows of the VW T-Roc on 21 July and later that day, Mr Jali went to Normacot.

CCTV footage showed him running into an alleyway between Hamilton Road and Buccleuch Road at about 23:47 BST.

Four seconds later, Tayaab and Ezaan got out of a car driven by Tuheed before the pair went into the alleyway where they repeatedly stabbed Mr Jali.

They then left the alleyway at Hamilton Road and were picked up by Tuheed before they drove away from the scene.

Mr Jali was found shortly after 00:30 BST on 22 July, police said, and he died at the scene at about 01:10.

Tuheed Hussain, 24, was found guilty of manslaughter

In a statement, Mr Jali's family said they loved and missed him, adding: "His death has left an unmeasurable void in the lives of us who love him so dearly."

They said the news of his death changed their lives forever in a way that was beyond anything they could imagine.

"The stark reality of Thapelo's death was something that quickly absorbed our family, devastating us completely, as the days, weeks and months have passed," they added.

"One young life was taken in the most tragic and cruel set of circumstances, yet many lives have been ruined through the ripples of devastation caused by these dreadful events."

Det Supt Cheryl Hannan, of Staffordshire Police, said her thoughts were with Mr Jali's family after the "brutal and calculated" killing.

"This highlights the tragic consequences of carrying a knife and conflict between groups," she added.