A UK woman has been sentenced to life in prison for her role in the brutal murder of 24-year-old Sacad Ali, who was lured out of a friend’s house and killed in a park.
On March 9, Sacad Ali was playing video games at a friend’s house in East Sussex when he received a call from an unknown number at 4am. The caller was 25-year-old Rebecca Moore, who persuaded Ali to leave and meet her in Ponderosa Park.
Upon arriving, Ali was ambushed by 18-year-old Barney Griffin and 17-year-old Jack Douglas, who attacked him with machetes. South Yorkshire Police reported that Ali begged the attackers to stop the violent assault before they fled the scene. Despite the efforts of paramedics and police, Ali succumbed to his injuries in the park.
Detective Chief Inspector Ben Wood explained that upon arrival, officers secured the scene and gathered witness statements from people in the area. These descriptions, including the clothing worn by the attackers, led to a breakthrough when investigators seized matching clothing from Griffin’s home after his arrest.
Griffin and Douglas turned themselves in to police on March 12 as the investigation gained momentum. That same day, a police officer approached Moore in Burngreave, Sheffield, after receiving reports of a suspect sighting. In the bodycam footage, Moore initially lied about her identity, claiming to be “Lauren Smith,” but the officer quickly identified her as Rebecca Moore through a photo match from dispatch.
The trio were later convicted for the murder. Moore’s actions in luring Ali to the scene were condemned by police, with Detective Wood stating, “The two teenagers murdered Sacad in a barbaric way, with Moore also murdering him by duping him into meeting and luring him to the spot where he would be brutally attacked.”
Instead of showing remorse, Moore forced Ali’s family to relive the traumatic events during the trial. She was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum term of 15 years.
Griffin was sentenced to 16 years, while Douglas received a 15-year sentence. The verdict was delivered on November 28, 2023.