Tyla Gopaul Found Guilty of Shoreditch Murder
Tyla Gopaul, 22, has been convicted of murdering Zakaria Abukar Sharif Ali, 26, in Shoreditch back in 2018. The verdict came after a tense trial at the Old Bailey. Sentencing is set for Thursday, 26 November.
Night of Violence Escalates in East London
On the night of 23 November 2018, Zakaria met two men at the Rolling Stock bar on Kingsland Road, East London. The trio spent hours drinking together. Meanwhile, Gopaul and a male friend started out at a nearby club opposite the bar.
By 4am on 24 November, Gopaul and his friend crossed over to the Rolling Stock to carry on the night. CCTV captured both groups mingling near the bar. Gopaul and Zakaria even shared a handshake around 5:15am.
As the club emptied at 6am, both groups parted ways. But Zakaria and his new friends turned back toward the bar. A verbal fight broke out between one of Zakaria’s friends and Gopaul’s companion.
Witnesses heard the man shout, “Come down here, let’s sort this out.” Zakaria stepped in, urging peace. His friend refused, saying, “No, I’m not going down there.”
Knife Attacks and Tragic Stabbing
Suddenly, Gopaul appeared, shouting “what, what, what” as he pulled a knife and lunged wildly at the group. Zakaria tried to break it up and was stabbed once. He staggered a few steps before collapsing near Kingsland Road.
Police arrived around 6:30am to find Zakaria critically wounded. He was rushed to hospital but died at 8:39am.
Fleeing Justice and Family Heartbreak
After the stabbing, Gopaul teamed up with Destiny Bannerman, 19, who helped him flee the country. He flew to Turkey, then on to Northern Cyprus. He was arrested upon his return to London in November 2019 and charged with murder.
Bannerman pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender and faces sentencing alongside Gopaul.
Detective Inspector Rita Tierney said: “This was a senseless attack involving men who barely knew each other. Zakaria was a peacemaker who tragically lost his life. Gopaul falsely claimed it was an accident but evidence proved otherwise. He only worsened the family’s pain by fleeing abroad.”
Zakaria’s sister, Bushra Sharif-Ali, told how her brother was the “nicest, kindest” and a protective role model. He leaves behind a wife and two young children, devastated by their loss.
“Zak’s eldest son knows his dad is gone. Every night he prays to protect him. The whole family feels lost — we struggle to understand why this happened,” Bushra said.
This tragic Shoreditch murder serves as a harsh reminder of how quickly a night out can spiral into deadly violence.
