Ghanaian man gets 16 years jail term for killing deaf woman in UK

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and six months after being convicted of the fatal assault of a deaf woman in east London, a case described in court as a “senseless murder” of a young life cut short.

The Old Bailey found Duane Owusu, 36, of Althorne Way in Dagenham, guilty of murdering 27-year-old Zahwa Mukhtar following a violent altercation after a night out.

According to the prosecution, Owusu forced Mukhtar out of an overcrowded Mercedes in Romford before striking her in a sustained attack that ultimately led to her death, the BBC reported.

Jurors heard that Mukhtar had never met Owusu or the group she was travelling with prior to joining them during a night out in the early hours of 16 August 2025.

MUST READ: IGP orders armed police escorts for Premier League clubs after deadly Berekum Chelsea attack

She had initially encountered the group after they left a rave in Hackney around 02:00 BST and later continued travelling with them after plans for another event fell through, the BBC reported.

The court was told that both Mukhtar and members of the group had been consuming alcohol and drugs during the evening.

The journey became increasingly tense, with Judge Richard Marks KC noting that Mukhtar appeared “flirtatious” and “erratic and quite wild” during the drive, at one point sitting on Owusu’s knee.

READ ALSO: Real Madrid fume as Bayern Munich defend Camavinga's red card decision

That behaviour reportedly escalated tensions among passengers, particularly between two women in the vehicle, the BBC reported.

The confrontation intensified after the group stopped near a garage and split into the street. Although the situation briefly calmed, it reignited when Mukhtar began filming on her phone.

Owusu then ordered the driver to stop the car, seized her phone and threw it into the road before physically forcing her out of the vehicle.

He went on to kick and strike her as she lay on the ground, the court heard.

One passenger, Paige Allen, described Owusu as 'just lost'. There was no controlling him” and said he looked “like a monster” during the attack as he continued to assault Mukhtar.

READ MORE: 8 Key things you need to Know about Carlos Queiroz, Black Stars coach for 2026 World Cup

Another passenger attempted to intervene but was pushed aside as Owusu delivered a forceful blow to Mukhtar’s neck, causing her to fall and suffer a fatal head injury, according to BBC News.

Mukhtar was pronounced dead at the scene at 06:21 BST after sustaining a fractured skull and severe brain injury.

Judge Marks told the court: “It was absolutely clear the only person about whom you were in any way concerned at the time was yourself.”

In his sentencing remarks, the judge added: “I accept that you did not know that she was gravely injured nor indeed that the injuries were so severe as to be unrecoverable, but the point is that you couldn't have cared less.”

The court also heard that Owusu had a prior conviction in 2010, when he was jailed for eight years for acting as a getaway driver in a robbery in which a shop manager was fatally stabbed.

He was released in 2013 and was on bail for a separate alleged drug-supply offence at the time of Mukhtar’s death, the BBC reported.

In a victim impact statement, Mukhtar’s brother, Jamaluddin Mukhtar, described her as “a remarkable young woman whose life was shaped by both hardship and extraordinary perseverance".

He said she had lost her hearing at the age of three after contracting meningitis but refused to let her disability define her life, adding: “Losing her has left an immeasurable void in our hearts. A beautiful, determined and loving soul whose absence will be deeply felt forever.”