Life Imprisonment for Brutal Attack on Deaf Woman in London
Duane Owusu, a 36-year-old man from Dagenham known by the nickname 'Nasty,' has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Zahwa Mukhtar, a 27-year-old profoundly deaf woman. The Old Bailey court delivered the verdict today, mandating a minimum term of 16 years and six months before parole consideration.
Fatal Night Out Ends in Tragedy
The incident occurred on August 16 last year, following a party where Ms. Mukhtar had been socializing independently. According to court testimony, she encountered Owusu's group 'by chance' outside a pub in Stoke Newington, near her residence. She subsequently entered their overcrowded Mercedes vehicle, where tensions escalated rapidly.
Prosecutor Henrietta Paget KC detailed that all occupants, including Ms. Mukhtar, had been consuming alcohol and drugs. 'Her behavior within the car became erratic—flirting with male passengers and instigating conflicts with females,' Paget stated. 'As an unknown individual to the group, her actions provoked increasing irritation among them.'
Violent Ejection and Lethal Assault
The situation deteriorated when Ms. Mukhtar began recording the others with her mobile phone. In response, Owusu instructed the driver to halt the vehicle. 'He opened the rear door, discarded her phone onto the pavement, and forcibly removed her from the car, causing her to land on her backside,' the prosecutor continued.
Witness accounts describe Owusu exiting the car and delivering two kicks aimed at her face as she sat defenseless on the ground. Despite intervention attempts from a female group member, whom he shoved aside, the assault persisted. Ms. Mukhtar managed to stand and pleaded for mercy, but Owusu responded with a powerful punch to her neck, knocking her unconscious onto the pavement.
Medical Consequences and Legal Proceedings
The impact of the fall resulted in a fractured skull and catastrophic brain injury, leading to her death. During February hearings, the killing was condemned as the 'senseless murder of a vulnerable young woman.' Eyewitness Paige Allen testified that Owusu appeared 'full of rage' and resembled 'a monster,' ignoring the victim's desperate appeals before striking the fatal blow.
Justice was served today as the jury found Owusu guilty of murder, emphasizing the premeditated brutality and abandonment of the victim. The court underscored the severity of targeting an individual with disabilities, reinforcing the necessity for stringent penalties in such heinous crimes.
