Written by Leon Thompson

Wednesday, 12 October 2005


A bouncer died in a hail of bullets outside a Birmingham nightclub when he "paid the price" for having stood up to members of a notorious street gang. Ishfaq Ahmed, aged 24, from Small Heath was shot a number of times while other doormen and the club owner were also injured in November last year.


Dean Smith (20), of Short Heath Road, Erdington, William Carter (29), of Broughton Road, Handsworth, Carl Spencer (37), of Norton Street, Winson Green, Michael Christie (33), of Gillott Road, Edgbaston, Leonard Wilkins (35), of Broseley Brook Close, Small Heath, Steven Taylor (30), of Johnstone Street, Lozells and Jamal Parchment (22), of Dovehouse Pool Road, Aston, have all denied murdering Mr Ahmed.

They have also pleaded not guilty to attempting to murder Dennis Killeen, Gary Hincion and David Nwolisa.

Anthony Barker QC, prosecuting at Birmingham Crown Court, said the group of 11 men came into the city centre in a four-car convoy from Walsall on November 20.

He said they successfully burst into one night club in Digbeth and then tried to get into the Premonition nightclub in Bristol Street through fire exit doors via an alleyway at about 3.30am. " The doormen stopped them. Some of them were known to the door staff by sight as part of a group called the Johnson Crew," said Mr Barker.

He said the bouncers ushered them back down the alley and that various threats were made by the group members. "They intended that anyone in that alley or out in the street that stood up to them paid the price," he said. Mr Barker said the bouncers followed the gang into the street but as they were about to turn back they were fired at.

He said Mr Nwolisa, one of the bouncers, realised he had been shot in the knee when he hid behind a phone box. Mr Killeen, the club owner, who had gone out to call his staff back in was shot in the abdomen while another bouncer was grazed with a bullet.

The case continues.

Thats distressing on so many different leevls. Now a man cant do a simple job without having bullets in his head. This pace is fast becoming US style. Would this shit even hapen over there come to think of it