Who is Samad Ali from C4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody? Meet the knifeman in The Devil’s Chain’s episode

SAMAD Ali inadvertently revealed his involvement in a violent doorstep stabbing.

He and his accomplice Stephen O’Dell conducted a frenzied attack outside the victim’s home back in 2019.

Who is Samad Ali from C4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody?

Samad was no stranger to the custody suite at Luton.

He had been banged up previously for a series of drug-dealing and violent offences.

According to police, Samad repeatedly committed theft at a store during his crime spree between October 2022 and April 2023.

It’s understood by police that he stole items worth over £18,000.

PC Sohail Khan from Birmingham CID said: “Ali was a prolific thief who repeatedly took items from supermarkets across the region.

“Given the amount of offences I have absolutely no doubt he would have continued to steal had we not stopped him.

“He was not concerned about harming others and it’s just fortunate the security worker was not more seriously hurt.”

What did Samad Ali and Stephen O’Dell do?

In the early hours of October 31, 2019, a group of attackers shot a man three times outside his house.

The assault was an act of revenge for a prison attack on Samad’s brother.

One used a machete to attack him before fleeing the scene and burning the getaway car.

The victim was left in a pool of their own blood.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a spent bullet casing, a bullet and a black balaclava covered in blood.

Channel 4 will uncover how Bedfordshire Police detectives solved the attempted murder.

The balaclava was linked to Stephen through his DNA, while a necklace stolen from the victim and worn by Ali contained both his blood and the victims.

The documentary shows Stephen becoming upset when police informed him that the balaclava, which was left at the scene, had his DNA on it.

He claimed “hands down” that the item did not belong to him but was later also charged with attempted murder.

Both Samad and Stephen pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent in November 2020.

The victim was fortunate to survive this horrific attack

Detective Inspector Iain Macpherson

They were jailed for 12 years and four months each.

At the sentencing, the judge said: “It was a planned and targeted attack and bore the hallmarks of a gang attack.”

Detective Inspector Iain Macpherson, from the Beds, Cambs and Herts major crime unit, said: “This was a complex investigation, but we are glad Ali and O’Dell pleaded guilty and will spend a significant amount of time behind bars.

“Forensics helped us piece together what happened and identified those involved.

“Knife crime and use of other weapons is a serious offence, and the victim was fortunate to survive this horrific attack.”

What happened to Samad Ali’s and Stephen O’Dell’s victims?

The victim suffered a two-inch gash to his head and a 20cm-deep laceration to his side.

He also had a wound to his back that exposed his spinal cord.

Despite sustaining life-changing injuries, the victim survived but was unable to communicate with the police to identify his attackers.

The police then faced the daunting task of finding the culprits due to the family’s unwillingness to cooperate.