A driver convicted in February for murdering a cyclist who pulled a wheelie was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 22 years on Monday.
Liam Jones, a 22-year-old cyclist, became the victim of an extreme act of road violence when driver Abdirahman Ibrahim, 21, used his car as a weapon in Birmingham, UK.
The incident began when Jones was riding with a friend, performing what police described as a “stand-up wheelie.” Rather than passing safely, Ibrahim initiated a deadly pursuit in his Seat Leon.
CCTV footage captured the car following Jones before the fatal attack on Moat Lane in Sheldon, where Ibrahim struck the cyclist twice.
His brother, Abdullahi Ibrahim,ย was jailed for two years and 10 months. The court heard he was a rear seat passenger in the Seat and was involved in efforts to hide the vehicle in the hours after the murder.
Det Insp Nick Barnes of West Midlands Police stated that Ibrahim was “intent on causing harm” to Jones and “menacingly” pursued him. “We believe he was angered by Liam’s showboating and wanted to teach him a lesson,” Barnes explained.
This tragic case represents one of the most serious examples of anti-cycling violence in recent UK history.
