Edinburgh shooting: London man charged

A MAN appeared in court yesterday following an alleged gangland shooting that left the son of a Muslim preacher dead and a second person injured.
A man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Julie BullA man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Julie Bull
A man will appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court. Picture: Julie Bull

Mohamud Mohamud, 29, has been charged with breach of the peace and is the first person to be arrested in relation to the incident.

Mohamud, of London, appeared in private before Sheriff Donald Corke at Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday.

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He made no plea or declaration to a charge alleging he disturbed the peace following an incident in the Willowbrae area of Edinburgh, on Sunday.

Sheriff Corke remanded him into custody and he is expected to reappear within the next seven days.

Meanwhile, police said they have now spoken to the man who was injured and taken to hospital following the incident in Willowbrae in the early hours of Sunday.

He is being treated as a witness and not a suspect, they said.

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Mohammed Abdi, 25, whose father was the second imam at the Central Mosque in Edinburgh, died in hospital after being shot following an alleged four-hour car chase through the city. His father, Omar Abdi, has called for his son’s killers to be brought to justice.

Police have said they are looking for six to ten black men, in two factions, in connection with the alleged murder of Mr Abdi.

There have been reports that they could include men of Somali descent, from the Birmingham area.

However, West Midlands Police said they were not currently involved in the investigation.

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One line of inquiry is that the attack could relate to a drugs seizure at Mr Abdi’s former home.

Mr Abdi had appeared in court on drugs charges earlier this month.

Police are also investigating vandalism of a property in Captain’s Drive, in the Gracemount area of Edinburgh. It is understood that Mr Abdi had fallen out with friends after the locks had been changed in a property some of them had been using.

This row escalated last week with threats exchanged on either side.

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Sources say this row could have led to the property in Captain’s Drive, which was not the home of Mr Abdi, being broken into on Thursday of last week.

It was then broken into again at the weekend, almost immediately before Mr Abdi’s death.

However, they are baffled as to how a row over changed locks could have escalated to murder, and believe other factors must have played a part.

Police Scotland have confirmed the Captain’s Drive break-in is part of their current inquiry, and say they are investigating a number of “related incidents”.

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Detectives are also keen to speak to anyone who saw a blue Volkswagen Sharan people carrier, late on Saturday night or in the early hours of Sunday.

Mr Abdi was found lying next to the crashed vehicle in Willowbrae, at 1am on Sunday.

Police are also continuing to appeal for sightings of a grey or silver hatchback-style car in the area around the same times.

They are continuing to carry out high-visibility patrols in Willowbrae and Gracemount, until the end of the week, to reassure residents and speak to witnesses.