NEWS
Henrietta Paget KC and Paul Sharkey Prosecute a Defendant Convicted of the Murder of a Young, Vulnerable Victim
Henrietta Paget KC and Paul Sharkey prosecuted a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court concerning the death of a vulnerable young woman following a night out in London.
The victim, Zahwa Mukhtar, was deaf and training to become an accountant. During the evening, she encountered a group that included the defendant, Duane Owusu. Following a disagreement, the defendant became aggressive and assaulted Ms Mukhtar, causing her to fall to the ground. She subsequently died as a result of the injuries she sustained.
At trial, Mr Owusu contended that his actions were undertaken in defence of others. This raised complex legal issues concerning the requirement of imminence in establishing such a defence, which were addressed through careful and detailed legal argument on behalf of the prosecution.
The jury convicted the defendant of murder. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 16 years.
Henrietta and Paul were instructed by Roy Pershad of the CPS Homicide Team.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly77v0n040o
https://metro.co.uk/2026/04/14/man-jailed-life-punching-deaf-woman-neck-leaving-die-street-27972271/