Killer nicknamed ‘Nasty’ jailed for punching deaf woman and leaving her to die in street

A murderer nicknamed “Nasty” has been sentenced to life in prison for fatally punching a young deaf woman in the neck and leaving her to die in the street.

Duane Owusu, 36, was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years and six months in prison at the Old Bailey.

He was found guilty of murdering 27-year-old Zahwa Muhtar earlier this month, following a hearing in the same court.

He threw her out of an overcrowded car in the early hours of August 16, 2025, knocking her to the ground with a single blow after she attended a party.

He then took off instead of calling for help.

The incident was recorded on CCTV and witnessed by Owusu’s horrified friends.

During the trial, witness Paige Allen told how Ms Mukhtar begged Owusu to stop before delivering the fatal blow.

He told jurors: “He was just angry. He looked like a monster. His behavior was completely wrong. He just fell. He just fell backwards.”

“I went to help him but he yelled at me to get in the car.”

At the hearing, Owusu denied punching Ms Mukhtar and claimed he only pushed her away from the car to “tense up” the situation.

Giving evidence, Owusu said: “I did not believe he was seriously or badly injured.”

On Tuesday, Judge Richard Marks KC sentenced Owusu to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and six months.

In a televised sentencing, Judge Marks said he had dealt Ms Mukhtar “a powerful blow without any justification”.

Although his friends asked for help, the defendant insisted that they leave, saying “nobody cared about him”.

Judge Marks said: “I accept you did not know he was seriously injured, in fact the injuries were so severe he could not have been saved, but the point is you could not have cared less.

“Whatever his condition, you were happy to leave him there, on his back at 4.30am, clearly under the influence of drink and drugs, as you knew, miles from home and with no way of getting there.

“It’s hard to imagine more callous and selfish behavior than this.”

In a statement read to the court, the victim’s brother, Cemaleddin Muhtar, said: “Zahwa Muhtar was a daughter, granddaughter, sister and niece; an extraordinary young woman whose life was shaped by both adversity and extraordinary determination.”

He said his sister became deaf when she was three after suffering meningitis, but she never let her disability “hold her back”.

He said she was known for her “constant smile and infectious laugh” and was always encouraging others to believe in themselves.

He added: “His warmth, kindness and belief in the potential of others were qualities that left a lasting impression on everyone who knew him.

“Losing her has left an immeasurable void in our hearts. A beautiful, determined and loving soul whose absence will be deeply felt forever.”

Michael Borrelli KC, in mitigation, said Owusu was “deeply saddened” by the pain Mrs Headman’s family must feel.

Jurors at his trial were not told that Owusu was sentenced to eight years in prison for being the getaway driver in a botched robbery in 2010 in which a Matalan store manager was fatally stabbed.

Drug dealer Owusu, who was convicted of conspiracy to commit robbery, was released in 2013 but was denied bail due to a new allegation that he was supplying class A drugs at the time of Ms Mukhtar’s death.