Man convicted of manslaughter over fatal shooting

Mohammed Haroon Zeb was shot in the head outside his home in January 2021

A man has been convicted of killing a father shot in the head outside his home on his birthday.

Mohammed Haroon Zeb, 39, was targeted in Queen's Cross, Dudley, in January 2021 after a feud between two families.

Akeel Hussain, 23, from Dudley, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday.

Police said he was "integral to planning" the drive-by shooting.

Father-of-four Mr Zeb, known as Haroon, was shot outside his home when returning from work in the early hours of 31 January two years ago, police said.

The taxi firm manager died later the same day in hospital.

West Midlands Police said the fatal shot was fired from a Volkswagen Golf.

In February this year, two men in the car, Gurdeep Sandhu and Hassan Taslem, were each jailed for 30 years for his murder.

The force said Hussain was identified as having a prominent role in the shooting after an examination of phone records and social media evidence.

He was in custody after being convicted of separate offences of violent disorder and possession with intent to supply drugs, the force added.

Akeel Hussain was convicted of Mr Zeb's manslaughter at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 14 November

A second man, Mohammed Rafiq, 22, from Dudley, was also convicted on Tuesday of attempting to pervert the course of justice after helping to conceal the vehicle, which was later found in Telford.

Det Supt Jim Munro, who led the investigation, said: "While Hussain may not have fired the fatal gunshot, he was integral to planning the shooting which tragically led to the death of Mr Zeb.

"We will possibly never know why Mr Zeb was specifically targeted. He was not believed to have been actively involved in the feud but was following what was going on.

"We know nothing can ever replace the loss of a loved one, but we hope the fact Hussain will now spend considerable time behind bars will ease some of the pain felt by Mr Zeb's family."

Hussain and Rafiq are due to be sentenced at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 1 December.

Mohammed Rafiq was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in relation to Mr Zeb's killing