Five Muslim men have been convicted over a revenge attack in Stoke-on-Trent in England that left a 31-year-old mother with severe burns and a teenage girl injured in a house fire.
The verdict came after an 11-week hearing at Nottingham Crown Court. Detective Constable Howard Davies of Staffordshire Police said the case involved “a horrific ordeal” in which a mother was set on fire in her own home in front of her daughter. The convicted men are now in custody and will be sentenced on a later date.
Shakil Uddin (23) from Oldham was found guilty of attempted murder and arson with intent. Lukman Khan (24) and Riyadh Iqbal (23), both from Stoke-on-Trent, were convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent and arson with intent. Muhammad Sufyaan-Shah (25), who was serving time at HMP Hindley in Wigan, was convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent. Tayyeb Majeed (23) from Stoke-on-Trent was also convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent.
Before the trial, five other Muslim men admitted their roles. Ali Abbas (22) pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder, arson with intent to endanger life and violent disorder. Haris Mahmood (21) was admitted to two counts of attempted murder and arson with intent to endanger life. Naveed Hussain (32) was admitted for violent disorder and carrying a knife in public. Kashif Ahmed (25) and Bilal Ahmed (26) were admitted with violent disorder.
What led to the fire
The incident started on the afternoon of 16 December 2021, when a fight broke out on Kildare Street in Longton involving several of the men. Kashif Ahmed was stabbed in the shoulder and treated at the hospital.
Later that night, shortly before 11 pm, a group went to a house on Beverley Drive in the Bentilee area asking for Hussain. Police said the group smashed downstairs windows and poured petrol in the hallway and near the living room window before setting the property on fire.
Inside were a 31-year-old woman and a 13-year-old girl. The woman was hit on the head and suffered burns to 65% of her body. She was placed in a coma for two months, and doctors initially feared she would not survive. Although she recovered, she now lives with serious injuries and needs ongoing medical treatment. She also suffered a broken pelvis, broken ribs and a damaged liver after escaping by jumping from an upstairs window, and had to learn to walk again.
The teenage girl suffered 15% burns to her arm and leg. Both managed to escape by breaking a window and jumping out.
Pakistani grooming gang cases
The case has again brought attention to wider discussions in the UK about organised child exploitation networks, referred as “Pakistani grooming gang” cases.
Major investigations in towns such as Rotherham found that around 1,400 children were abused over 16 years. Operation Stovewood later led to dozens of convictions. Court records in several high-profile cases showed that many offenders were men of Pakistani heritage, which led to strong public and political reactions.
In Rotherham, a significant number of convicted offenders were British Pakistani men. These findings triggered national debate, with critics accusing authorities of failing to act early enough. In response, governments set up special task forces and strengthened child protection measures.
Police and safeguarding agencies continue to state that child sexual exploitation is committed by individuals from different communities and that protecting children requires firm law enforcement and early intervention, without targeting any entire group.
