Man jailed for murdering deaf woman on night out
Zahwa Mukhtar was thrown from a car and fatally beaten by a man she met while out in Hackney
Man jailed for murdering deaf woman on night out
Zahwa had hoped to become an accountant before her life was brutally taken.
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
APRIL 14, 2026
A man has been jailed for life after murdering a woman who he threw from a car and left to die.
Zahwa Mukhtar, 27, had met Duane Owusu, 36, in the early hours of Saturday, August 16, 2025, while both were out in Hackney.
The 27-year old who worked at the Young Vic Theatre in London as a financial assistant had joined the group Owusu was with and ended up in the car where a dispute occurred around 4.30am which saw him throw her out of the car at Chadwell Heath Lane.
Owusu then got out and attempted to kick Ms Mukhtar in the head twice before punching her.
He then got back in the car and fled the scene leaving her unconscious by the roadside.
Now, after being found guilty of murder by a jury at the Old Bailey in March, Owusu has been sentenced to a minimum of 16 years and six months in jail.
During sentencing broadcast on Sky News, Judge Richard Marks KC stated that Owusu had been “high on a cocktail of drugs” and that he struck Ms Mukhtar with a “forceful blow for which there was absolutely no need or justification.”
He added that the 27-year-old who had developed meningitis at the age of three which left her “completely deaf” in one ear and significantly deaf in her other, had made “great strides in her life” despite the challenges she faced.
Ms Mukhtar had also hoped to become an accountant, the judge said.
Police say they pulled the car for a routine stop shortly after the brutal assault and that they recovered a small quantity of drugs from the vehicle and Owusu was also caught on body-worn video behaving aggressively.
Officers let the car go and invited the driver for interview at a later date.
Passers-by then alerted the officers that a woman was injured by the roadside nearby and they attended.
However, Ms Mukhtar was pronounced dead by paramedics shortly after.
In a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, from Specialist Crime North, said: “The sentence in this case reflects the severity of Owusu’s offending and our thoughts remain as always with Zahwa’s family and friends.
“Using CCTV evidence, the investigation team was able to quickly identify Owusu as the killer. Their dedication to this detailed work to trace and examine key footage from the time of the incident was crucial in securing Owusu’s conviction.”
The detective added that they obtained CCTV of the fatal assault and that a passenger in the car who wanted to go back and help Ms Mukhtar was referred to as a “weak link” by Owusu.
They said: “Having linked the car that was stopped earlier in the night to Zahwa’s death, the investigation team sought to trace the movements of the passengers.
“They obtained graphic CCTV footage of the fatal assault, showing Owusu throwing Zahwa from the car, then attacking her.
“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 arrested on Sunday, 17 August, and taken into police custody, where he gave a no comment interview. He was charged on Monday, 18 August.”