A man has been jailed for life after being convicted of murdering a deaf woman following a brutal assault in east London that saw him throw her from a car before fatally punching her in the neck.

Duane Owusu, aged 36, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and six months after the death of 27-year-old Zahwa Mukhtar, following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police and a trial at the Old Bailey.

The court heard that the incident took place in the early hours of 16 August 2025, after Owusu and a group of others had been travelling in an overcrowded vehicle. During the journey, Zahwa Mukhtar, who was profoundly deaf, became involved with the group before tensions escalated inside the car.

Owusu then forced her out of the vehicle, throwing her onto the street before kicking her and delivering a single punch to the neck, which proved fatal. She was left injured on the pavement as the group drove away from the scene.

Emergency services were later called, and Zahwa Mukhtar was found unresponsive at around 5.31am. Despite efforts from police and paramedics, she was pronounced dead at 6.21am at the scene.

During sentencing, the court heard details of the violent and spontaneous nature of the attack, with Judge Richard Marks KC describing the incident as serious, although not premeditated, and highlighting the severity of the injuries caused by the assault.

Owusu was found guilty of murder following a trial at the Old Bailey, with the jury rejecting his defence. The court was told that the attack involved a sustained level of violence against a vulnerable victim who had been placed in a dangerous situation before being ejected from the vehicle.

Zahwa Mukhtar, who worked as a finance assistant at the Young Vic Theatre in Waterloo, was described in court as a bright and enthusiastic young woman with aspirations of becoming an accountant. She had been profoundly deaf since childhood after contracting meningitis at the age of three, but was known to communicate using British Sign Language and lip reading.

The case has been described by prosecutors as a senseless killing, with the defendant’s actions and behaviour following the assault also taken into account during sentencing.

The Metropolitan Police investigation led to Owusu’s arrest and subsequent conviction, bringing the case to a conclusion at the Old Bailey where he was handed a life sentence for murder. 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."