A teenager who fatally stabbed a man in the heart during a violent brawl in Manchester city centre can now be named as Nasir Al-Shumari, following the lifting of legal restrictions after he turned 18.
Al-Shumari, from Hulme, was just 16 when he murdered 33-year-old Ahmed Alsrhan on 16 August 2023. He was detained at His Majesty’s Pleasure last summer after being found guilty of murder and wounding, and ordered to serve a minimum of 14 years.
The court heard how Mr Alsrhan had been drinking coffee with his brother and friends near Piccadilly Basin when he was approached by Mohammed Al-Enizi Hameed, 36, who asked “who are you?” before shouting: “Bring the knife, let’s kill them.”
Al-Shumari was among those who responded. During the confrontation, he stabbed Mr Alsrhan in the heart and pushed him into the Rochdale Canal. The victim suffered multiple wounds, including to the abdomen, armpit and lung. He managed to climb out of the water but collapsed nearby on Dale Street. Despite emergency open-heart surgery at the scene, he died in hospital from brain damage.
Another man, Sami Alhaj, was also wounded during the attack.
Mohammed Al-Enizi Hameed, 36, of Brighton Grove, Rusholme, was also convicted of murder and wounding. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years.
Al-Shumari, who had previously been found with a knife at school but had no convictions, was described in court as having “deficiencies in emotional development” and diagnosed with conduct disorder. His barrister claimed the knife used in the fatal stabbing was not taken to the scene deliberately.
Mr Justice Edward Pepperall said: “The offence was committed in broad daylight, in a public area and could be seen by passing pedestrians. [Mr Alsrhan] was clearly a much-loved young man who was simply enjoying a coffee on a summer afternoon and his life was cut so tragically short.”
Two others were also convicted in relation to the incident:
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Hussein Muhalhal, 20, of Lower Park Road, Longsight, was found guilty of section 18 wounding and jailed for five-and-a-half years.
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A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, was convicted of section 18 wounding and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in a young offender institution.
In a statement released after the sentencing, Mr Alsrhan’s family said: “The family of Ahmed Alsrhan continue to grieve in private on their loss in this senseless taking of Ahmed’s life… [we] would like to thank the Investigation Team at Greater Manchester Police together with the CPS who undertook this investigation and brought those responsible for Ahmed’s murder, to face the courts and ultimately justice for their actions.”
