On 14 April 2026, Duane Owusu was jailed for life at the Old Bailey for the murder of Zahwa Mukhtar, a 27-year-old deaf woman who was punched, thrown from a moving car, and left to die on a roadside in east London in August 2025. The judge ordered that Owusu must serve a minimum of 16 years and 6 months before he can be considered for parole.

Who Is Duane Owusu?

Duane Owusu, 36, is from Althorne Way, Dagenham, east London. He was known by the street nickname “Nasty.” At the time of Zahwa Mukhtar’s murder in August 2025, Owusu was already on bail in connection with a separate alleged drug-supply offence.

Owusu has a significant criminal history. In 2010, he was jailed for eight years after acting as the getaway driver in a botched robbery during which a Matalan store manager was fatally stabbed. He was released in 2013 — meaning that by the time he murdered Zahwa Mukhtar, he was already a man with a prior conviction for an offence linked to a killing.

Who Was Zahwa Mukhtar?

Zahwa Salah Mukhtar was a 27-year-old woman from east London who worked as a finance assistant at the Young Vic Theatre and was working towards becoming a qualified accountant. She had been deaf since the age of three, having lost her hearing following meningitis. She suffered a second bout of meningitis as a teenager. Despite this, she was skilled at lip-reading and British Sign Language and, by all accounts, lived a full and determined life.

Her brother Jamaluddin Mukhtar described her as “a daughter, granddaughter, sister and niece — a remarkable young woman whose life was shaped by both hardship and extraordinary perseverance.” Those who knew her spoke of her love of food and travel and her closeness to her younger sister.

What Happened on the Night of the Murder?

In the early hours of Saturday, 16 August 2025, Zahwa Mukhtar encountered Owusu and his group outside The Pubb bar in Stoke Newington, north London, after they had left a rave in Hackney at around 2:00 am. She had never met any of them before. She joined seven people — including Owusu — in an overcrowded Mercedes for the journey back toward Dagenham.

During the journey, Zahwa was described during the trial as behaving erratically, and at some point she began filming on her phone. Owusu ordered the driver to stop the car. At around 4:30 am, on Chadwell Heath Lane at the east London/Essex border, Owusu opened the rear door and threw Zahwa’s phone into the road. He then physically ejected her from the vehicle, causing her to land on the pavement.

CCTV footage captured Owusu kicking out at Zahwa twice while she was on the ground. When she stood up, he struck her on the side of the neck with a severe blow — described in court as his arm coming “almost in line with his head.” She fell backwards, arms flailing, making no attempt to break her fall, and was left unconscious by the roadside. Owusu got back in the car and fled the scene. Her hearing aid was found beside her body.

At around 5:31 am, passers-by found Zahwa unconscious and called the police. Officers commenced CPR, but paramedics pronounced her dead shortly after. The cause of death was a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain — injuries medical experts described as “not survivable.”

In a tragic twist, police officers stopped the very same Mercedes shortly after the attack during a routine vehicle stop. A small amount of drugs was recovered, and Owusu was caught on body-worn video behaving aggressively. Officers allowed the car to continue, with the intention of calling the driver in for interview later — unaware that Zahwa was lying dying just streets away.

Owusu was arrested the following day, on Sunday, 17 August 2025. He was charged with murder on 18 August 2025 and gave a no comment interview throughout.

If you have a loved one currently in custody and want to stay in contact, you can find guidance on our page about how to book a prison visit or send money to a prisoner.

The Trial and Conviction

The trial of Duane Owusu took place at the Old Bailey — the Central Criminal Court in London — in February and March 2026. The trial lasted approximately two weeks. Jurors were not told of Owusu’s prior conviction for the robbery-related killing during the trial itself; they learned of it only at the sentencing hearing.

On Thursday, 5 March 2026, after nearly 12 hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict for murder. Sentencing was set for 14 April 2026.

The Sentence and Judge’s Remarks

On 14 April 2026, Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Duane Owusu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and 6 months. He will not be eligible to apply to the Parole Board until he has served that minimum term in full.

Judge Marks described Owusu as “callous and selfish,” saying he had struck Mukhtar with a “forceful blow for which there was absolutely no justification.” He told Owusu directly: “I accept that you did not know that she was gravely injured, nor indeed that the injuries were so severe as to be unrecoverable, but the point is that you could not have cared less.” The judge added: “It was absolutely clear the only person about whom you were in any way concerned at the time was yourself.”

Zahwa’s family issued a statement after the sentencing. Her brother said the family had been robbed of an irreplaceable person, and called for greater awareness of the vulnerability of deaf people in social settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Duane Owusu?

Duane Owusu is a 36-year-old man from Dagenham, east London. He was convicted of the murder of Zahwa Mukhtar at the Old Bailey in March 2026 and sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and 6 months in April 2026. He had a prior conviction dating to 2010 relating to a robbery in which a man was fatally stabbed.

Who was Zahwa Mukhtar?

Zahwa Mukhtar was a 27-year-old woman from east London who worked as a finance assistant at the Young Vic Theatre. She had been deaf since the age of three. She was murdered in the early hours of 16 August 2025 after being thrown from a car and struck by Duane Owusu in Chadwell Heath, east London.

What sentence did Duane Owusu receive?

Duane Owusu received a mandatory life sentence with a minimum term of 16 years and 6 months, meaning he cannot apply for parole until he has served at least that amount of time in custody. The sentence was handed down at the Old Bailey on 14 April 2026 by Judge Richard Marks KC.

What court was Duane Owusu tried in?

Duane Owusu was tried and sentenced at the Old Bailey, formally known as the Central Criminal Court, in London. The Old Bailey handles the most serious criminal cases in England and Wales, including murders and other grave offences.

Is Duane Owusu still in prison?

Yes. Duane Owusu is currently serving a life sentence in the UK prison system. He does not become eligible to apply for parole until he has served the minimum term of 16 years and 6 months set by the sentencing judge. Even after that point, release is not automatic and would require approval from the Parole Board.