Sentencing remarks by Mr Justice Kerr: R v Zaheer
| Jurisdiction | England & Wales |
| Judgment Date | 07 February 2022 |
| Subject Matter | Criminal |
| Court | Crown Court |
1
Sentencing remarks of Mr Justice Kerr
The Queen
v.
Umair Zaheer
Brandon Moore
Jordan Waring
Louis Coleman
Robert Brazendale
Bilal Khan
Hitesh Patel
Manchester Crown Court
4 February 2022
1. The defendants should remain seated for the moment. The court sits
today to sentence them for serious offences committed from March to
June 2020. The crimes fall into three categories: a conspiracy to acquire
firearms and ammunition with intent to harm an individual; the supply
of firearms and ammunition in a conspiracy to use them to endanger
life; and conspiracies to supply cocaine, cannabis and ketamine. There
is also one other offence of dealing cannabis in 2019.
2. The evidence that unmasked these offences was mainly of the most
modern kind: CCTV, DNA, vehicle telematics and, above all,
interception of “encrochat” covert communications widely used, and
used only, by criminals to commit organised crimes. Unless I say
otherwise, communications I shall refer to were by encrochat message.
3. The encrochat communications system was originally decoded by a
French organisation. The relevant communications were analysed by
police officers here, to good effect. That diligent police work has led
ultimately to this court hearing and others yet to be held. The arrest and
conviction of these defendants has probably prevented, at least, serious
violence; and disrupted the criminal activities of a criminal gang.
4. To decide the sentences I have drawn on the usual legal sources: the
sentencing code, relevant sentencing guidelines, case law and, not least,
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