Why Is Demi Dunford in Prison?

Demi Dunford, a woman from Sheffield, is in prison after being convicted of murder following a fatal gangland shooting in the city. She was sentenced to a minimum of 31 years in January 2026, having organised a cold-blooded, targeted killing as part of a drug feud.

Who Is Demi Dunford?

Demi Dunford, aged 29 at the time of sentencing, is from Derby Street in Heeley, Sheffield. She had a prior criminal history and was already known to South Yorkshire Police before the events that led to her conviction for murder. Prosecutors described her as someone who was “all about guns and drugs” and who wanted to make a name for herself in Sheffield’s criminal underworld.

The Murder of Abdullah Hassan

In the early hours of 9 April 2023, Abdullah Hassan, aged 25, was shot dead on Callow Drive in the Gleadless Valley area of Sheffield. The killing was meticulously planned and executed. Abdullah was lured out of his flat in the dead of night by a phone call from someone pretending to want to buy drugs from him. When he stepped outside, figures who had been lying in wait “emerged from the shadows” and gunned him down.

The murder arose from a drug dispute. Dunford organised the hit, recruiting three other individuals to help her carry out the plan: Alex Taff, 31, Osai Williams, 29, and Andrew Horton, 47. Prosecutor Stephen Wood KC told the jury that Dunford had organised the “cold blooded, targeted shooting and murder” of Abdullah Hassan.

The Trial and Verdict

Demi Dunford and her three co-defendants were tried for murder. All four were found guilty. The jury heard how Dunford had acted as the organiser and driving force behind the plot, making her one of the principal figures in Abdullah Hassan’s death despite not having pulled the trigger herself.

The case attracted significant attention in South Yorkshire, both because of the calculated nature of the killing and because Dunford was a woman playing a leading role in what was clearly a violent, male-dominated criminal gang. Her brother was also separately imprisoned for his involvement in Sheffield gangland shootings, making the Dunford family a significant subject of law enforcement focus in the city.

Demi Dunford’s Sentence

In January 2026, Demi Dunford was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 31 years at Sheffield Crown Court. Her three co-defendants were sentenced at the same hearing. Osai Williams received a minimum of 32 years; Alex Taff a minimum of 27 years; and Andrew Horton a minimum of 28 years. Between the four defendants, the total custodial time amounted to 118 years.

The sentences reflect the seriousness with which the courts treat gang-related, premeditated murders. All four defendants were convicted on the basis that, although only one person physically pulled the trigger, each was equally responsible in law for the planned killing of Abdullah Hassan.

The Victim: Abdullah Hassan

Abdullah Hassan was 25 years old when he was murdered. His death was a devastating loss for his family and friends. The circumstances of his killing — lured from his home in the middle of the night and ambushed by people waiting in the shadows — were described throughout the trial as particularly callous and premeditated.

Wider Context: Gang Violence in Sheffield

The Dunford case is part of a broader pattern of gang-related violence in Sheffield that South Yorkshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have worked to tackle in recent years. Drug-related turf wars have resulted in a number of fatal shootings across the city, and courts have responded with lengthy prison sentences intended to deter others and protect the public.

Demi Dunford’s role in the conspiracy challenges some assumptions about gender and organised crime. As one of the lead planners of a contract-style killing, she was treated by the court as equally culpable to the men who physically carried it out — a position that reflects the serious view UK courts take of those who organise and direct violence, regardless of their personal role in its execution.

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