A 39-Year-Old Man Killed Two Men in Wolverhampton  Changed His Appearance and Tried to Escape the UK Using Someone Else’s Passport Details, but He Had No Idea What Was Waiting for Him

A 39-year-old man accused of killing two men in Wolverhampton allegedly changed his appearance and tried to get a British passport using another person’s name so he could escape from the UK.

Mohammed Maneer Khan was arrested after he visited the passport office in Birmingham, where police officers were already waiting for him.

A court heard that Khan had allegedly shaved off his hair and beard to make himself look different from the photographs police had released while searching for him.

Prosecutors believe he was trying to leave Britain after the deaths of Duaine Mills and Syed Zain Ali, who were shot while sitting inside a silver Audi A4 in Wolverhampton.

The shooting happened in Harrow Street, Whitmore Reans, during the early hours of Friday, September 19, 2025.

Both men were shot in the head. A third man, Sahil Idrees, was also inside the vehicle during the incident.

Khan has been charged with two counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life.

However, he denies all these charges.

The court heard that Khan allegedly decided to obtain a passport using the identity of another man, Samir Patel, instead of applying in his own name.

Prosecutors said the plan involved two other men, Yaseen Patel, 35, from Birmingham, and Samir Patel, 43, from Walsall.

According to the prosecution, Samir allowed his personal details to be used for the passport application, while Yaseen allegedly helped arrange the process.

The passport application was submitted on September 23, 2025, just four days after the shooting.

The application included Samir Patel’s name and personal information, but the photograph was allegedly of Khan, who had shaved his hair and beard.

The court was told that the real Samir Patel had never previously held a British passport.

During the trial, prosecutor Michael Burrows KC explained that Khan had arranged to attend an interview at HM Passport Office in Birmingham on November 20.

However, what Khan allegedly did not know was that police officers were already waiting for him at the building.

At around 10am, an officer reportedly watched him enter the reception area and introduce himself as Samir Patel.

He also allegedly signed the visitor’s book using that name.

After identifying him, the officer contacted colleagues for assistance.

Police then escorted Khan out of the building and arrested him.

But prosecutors claimed that even after his arrest, Khan continued pretending to be Samir Patel.

He allegedly maintained the false identity during police questioning and only responded to his real name when he later appeared in court.

Investigators also discovered something they believe provides important evidence about the alleged passport plan.

Following Khan’s arrest, police examined a white BMW associated with Yaseen Patel.

Inside the glove box, officers found three handwritten notes containing personal information about Samir Patel.

The notes reportedly included Samir’s date of birth, home address, names of family members, the date of his parents’ wedding and even the names of some of his former teachers.

Prosecutors believe these notes were prepared to help Khan remember important information about Samir so he could answer questions during the passport interview without raising suspicion.

Mr Burrows told the jury that the documents were clearly intended to help Khan learn the details he needed.

Handwriting experts examined the notes and concluded that Samir Patel had not written them.

However, investigators reportedly found strong evidence suggesting that Yaseen wrote two of the notes, while Khan wrote the third.

Police also discovered three mobile phones inside the BMW.

One of the phones had a number that matched the contact number provided on the passport application.

The phone was registered under Samir Patel’s name and home address.

The court also heard that investigators obtained recordings of telephone calls made to the passport office.

A speech expert examined calls made on October 30 and November 19, during which the caller gave the name Samir Patel.

According to prosecutors, the expert concluded that Yaseen Patel was the person speaking during both calls.

Another call was made on December 1, and prosecutors said it was very likely that Samir Patel made that call himself.

Mr Burrows suggested that Samir may have contacted the passport office after learning that the other men had been arrested, possibly to make his involvement appear innocent.

Samir was later arrested on January 14, 2026.

During police questioning, Yaseen denied knowingly helping anyone involved in a crime.

Samir also denied being involved in the alleged plan.

He told police that he genuinely wanted to apply for a passport and that a friend had helped him with the application.

He claimed the friend was not Yaseen and insisted that he did not know Khan.

Samir also said he had provided his birth certificate and asked whether a photograph was required, but was told he could provide one later.

He later identified two people known as Jay and Ali as the friends who had helped him.

However, prosecutors told the jury that police examined his phone and found no contacts saved under those names.

The court also heard more details about what allegedly happened before the deadly shooting in Wolverhampton.

Prosecutors said Khan had been using a black Audi RS6 in the days leading up to the incident.

They alleged that Duaine Mills, Syed Zain Ali and Sahil Idrees attacked the vehicle shortly before the shooting.

According to the prosecution, the attack on the Audi lasted around one minute, and gunfire followed just seconds later.

Investigators believe the damage to the Audi may have been connected to an earlier incident in Manchester, where a vehicle driven to the area by Mr Mills had been damaged.

The prosecution believes these events may help explain what led to the shooting.

The jury was also reminded that West Midlands Police publicly named Khan as a suspect on September 21, 2025, and released a photograph showing him with hair and a beard.

Prosecutors say his appearance was noticeably different when he later tried to obtain the passport.

They believe the change was part of an attempt to avoid being recognised and leave the country.

Mr Burrows asked jurors to consider why Khan allegedly went into hiding, changed his appearance and became involved in a passport application under another person’s name so soon after the killings.

Khan has already admitted committing fraud in connection with the false passport application.

However, he continues to deny murdering Duaine Mills and Syed Zain Ali, attempting to murder Sahil Idrees and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

His defence is expected to argue that he was not the person who fired the gun.

Meanwhile, Yaseen Patel and Samir Patel both deny attempting to interfere with the course of justice.

The court has not yet reached a verdict on the contested charges, and the allegations against the three men remain matters for the jury to decide.