Michelle Sadio, a mother of two, was shot and died at the scene outside the River of Life Pentecostal church in Willesden, north London on 14 December 2024. Two other individuals were injured in the attack: Kenneth Amoah was hit in the back and paralyzed below the waist, while Kadeem Francis was shot in the foot.
The prosecution alleged the intended target was a rapper called Trapstar Toxic, whose real name is Adetokunbo Ajibola. Four defendants—Perry Allen-Thomas, Amir Salem, Shaquille Sutherland, and Tahjin Sommersall—were accused of murder and attempted murder over their alleged involvement in the shootings, with Sommersall also charged with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. According to the prosecution, Allen-Thomas and Sutherland put others up to the shooting though they were not present when it was carried out, while Salem was accused of helping to dispose of the vehicle and reporting between the car’s occupants and Allen-Thomas and Sutherland on the night of the shooting. The prosecution further claimed Sommersall was in the car with two other people—Ibrah Sayed and Hassan Mohammed.
At least four shots were fired from the Kia used in the attack, which had been stolen and was being driven with false number plates. After the shooting, the car was doused in petrol supplied by Salem and set alight. According to evidence, the weapon had been used twice before in the previous months and was said to be a 'gang gun'. In one of the earlier incidents, authorities reported that the occupant of a car opened fire outside a pizzeria, discharging 11 rounds and hitting one person in the ankle, though there was no suggestion the defendants in this case were involved in that incident.
All four defendants denied all of the charges. Tahjin Sommersall said he was on a council estate in Wembley at the time and denied being in the Kia. The other defendants denied being involved or knowing anything about it.
On Tuesday, Allen-Thomas and Salem were found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder after an Old Bailey trial, while Sutherland and Sommersall were cleared. It was not known who pulled the trigger in the drive-by shooting. Ibrah Sayed and Hassan Mohammed were said to have fled the country, and their exact whereabouts remain unknown to the police. Mrs Justice McGowan remanded the two convicted defendants into custody to be sentenced at a later date, with the specific sentences yet to be determined.