Duane Owusu has been found guilty of the murder of Zahwa Mukhtar last year
A ‘remorseless killer’ from East London has been found guilty of murder after he threw a woman out of a car then punched her.
Duane Owusu, 36, of Althorne Way, Dagenham, threw 27-year-old Zahwa Mukhtar out of a car on Saturday, August 16. Zahwa had met Duane earlier in the night when they were both out in Hackney.
She joined his group of friends in a car on August 16. At around 4:30 am, there was an argument and Owusu threw Zahwa out of the car at Chadwell Heath Lane. He then got out and punched her, before jumping back in the car and leaving the scene.
He left Zahwa unconscious at the scene where she was later found by passers-by who called officers to the scene. When paramedics and police attended the scene, they attempted CPR on her.
She had suffered a fractured skull and brain injury and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Earlier in the evening, the police had pulled over the car that Owusu was in for a routine stop where they discovered a small quantity of drugs. They were then able to link that car to Zahwa’s death and obtained CCTV footage which showed him throwing her from the car.
Further CCTV footage showed Owusu and a passenger who had been in the car waiting for a taxi. Owusu was heard berating the other man for wanting to turn around and help Zahwa, referring to him as a “weak link”.
Owusu was later arrested on Sunday, August 17 and taken into police custody. He gave a no comment interview. He will be sentenced on Thursday, March 12.
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, from Specialist Crime North, said: “Our thoughts today are with Zahwa’s family, who have demonstrated great dignity and patience after losing their daughter in such horrendous circumstances.
“CCTV footage collected by the investigation team painted a damning picture of Owusu’s guilt. The evidence revealed him to be a remorseless killer, who acted with callous disregard towards his victim.”
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