Man in 'defence mode' after home 'ambushed'

Published date02 February 2021
Publication titleBirmingham Mail (England)
Saghawat Ramzan told a jury it felt like "an army" was raiding his home in Pensnett Road, Brierley Hill, in the early hours of February 20 last year.

He told the court he had no idea his property next door had been converted into a cannabis factory by Vietnamese tenants.

Saghawat, 47, admitted firing two bolts at one of the intruders Khuzaimah Douglas, 19, who grappled in the street with his brother Waseem Ramzan, 36, jurors heard.

But he told Wolverhampton Crown Court he was aiming for his arm in the belief he was going to reach for a knife to stab his sibling.

Both men died from crossbow wounds but Saghawat claimed he did not realise at first he had hit either of them, the court was told.

Asked by his barrister, Gary Bell QC, if he intended to kill Mr Douglas he said: "Mr Bell, I didn't intend to kill anyone that night. I went to sleep [earlier that night] to go to work the next morning."

Earlier he told the jury: "At first it looked like two people wrestling. There came a time I thought Mr Douglas had a knife and I thought he was about to stab my brother. I didn't see a knife I thought he was going for a knife with his movement.

"When I thought he was going for his knife I went for his arm, just to stop him in his tracks.

"It would have got him off my brother but obviously it didn't work out like that."

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