Six people sentenced after shooting in west London

Six people have been sentenced to a combined 167 years in prison after a fatal shooting in west London.

Following a thorough investigation by the Met Police, five men and a teenage boy were sentenced on Friday, 5 September following a trial at the Old Bailey.

They were all convicted of the murder of 21-year-old Janayo Lucima who was killed by a single bullet when he opened the front door of his house in West Kensington. In court the killing was described as a “planned and organised execution” believed to be linked to a dispute over drugs.

Despite several of the defendants trying to flee the country to avoid arrest, they have now been brought to justice.

In the family impact statement read out in court, Janayo’s family mentioned the heartbreak and devastating impact his loss had on them all.

Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, senior investigating officer from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command: “Our thoughts are with Janayo’s family, who have all been deeply affected by the senseless violence that night. His family attended each day of the trial and listened to every harrowing detail of the traumatic events of the night he was killed and remained dignified throughout. We hope that they feel some justice now these defendants have been sentenced.

“We worked tirelessly over many months, painstakingly gathering evidence and tracking down the six people involved, including the ones who fled the country to try and evade justice.

“We still don’t know the exact reasons as to why Janayo was killed that night, but this was not a random killing. The defendants planned their actions meticulously and came with murderous intent, armed not only with a handgun but also with knives.

“They gave Janayo no chance to defend himself, instead executing him ruthlessly as he stepped out of the front door.”

“Each of the defendants had their role to play and all of them were participants in the murder of Janayo. I want this to be a reminder that with joint participation comes joint responsibility.”

Officers were called shortly after 22:15hrs on Monday,1 April 2024 to reports of a shooting.

On arrival, officers found Janayo on his doorstep, it was evident he had been shot. Despite the best efforts of emergency services, he sadly died at the scene.

A murder investigation was immediately launched, and using CCTV and forensic evidence from the scene officers quickly identified the suspects involved. Over the months that followed, they worked diligently to track down those who had fled the country and arrest them.

The shooting had been strategically planned by the defendants who all had set roles to play in the incident. The court heard how two of them, Mohammed Mansaray and Khuder Al-Kurdi, were key in the events that unfolded that night.

CCTV showed five of the defendants meeting at Fabian Road, Fulham on the evening of the murder. Mansaray, who fired the fatal shot, was seen flashing the gun to his peers as they waited for a signal from Al-Kurdi to provide the address where Janayo was.

Khuder Al-Kurdi was at home as the incident unfolded, however phone records show he was in contact with Janayo as he pretended to set up a drug deal to find out his location.

Once Al-Kurdi had the address, he passed it onto the five on Fabian Road, who changed their clothes and made their way to Comeragh Road. They were seen on CCTV concealing themselves, with Mansaray positioning himself outside the house where Janayo was located and practised raising the gun.

Al-Kurdi phoned Janayo and less than a minute later, he stepped outside and was fatally shot by Mansaray.

The five offenders fled the scene, with some discarding the weapons they had been carrying, including knives. These were forensically linked back to a number of the defendants.

Out of the six, five left the country days after the killing in a bid to try and evade capture. Officers worked quickly to track down the defendants and arrest them, travelling to Scotland to apprehend two of the ringleaders – Mansaray and Said - and arranging an extradition for one who fled to Spain.

Two others travelled to Morrocco, later arrested when they returned to the UK.

All six were convicted of murder at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 15 July.

Those sentenced are:

Khuder Al-Kurdi – 23 (28.08.02) of Fulham Palace Road, Fulham, arrested in London on 6 April, 2024. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 33 years in prison.

Muktar Said, 24 (18.07.01) of Franklin Square, West Kensington, travelled to Scotland days after and was arrested in Glasgow on 6 April, 2024. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 29 years.

Mohammed Mansaray, 18 (06.01.07) of Neasden Lane, Dollis Hill, also travelled to Scotland days after and was arrested in Glasgow on 6 April, 2024. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 27 years in prison.

A 17-year-old boy from SW6, extradited from Spain, arrived back in the UK and arrested on 7 June 2024. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 22 years in prison.

Issa Siteri, 19 (16.09.05) of Elm Park Gardens, Chelsea, arrived back in the UK from Morocco on 8 June, 2024 and was arrested. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 28 years in prison.

Yusuf Muhudin Abdi, 19 (15.09.05) of Bourne Terrace, Westbourne Green, also arrived back in the UK from Morocco on 8 June, 2024 and was arrested. He was sentenced to life with a minimum of 28 and a half years in prison.

+ The jury could not reach a verdict on another man and teenage boy charged with murder and a retrial will be held in 2026.

In her victim impact statement, Janayo’s mum, Winifred Ayo said:

“I miss my son and think about him all the time. I miss his hugs. I miss his smell. I miss his laughs. I miss his perfect smile.

“Janayo taught his Dad and I to look at the world afresh, from a child’s point of view, to love and care deeply for another person to accept and trust and believe in the goodness of every human being, no matter what their difference. Janayo was full of dreams.

“But he was heartlessly taken away from us by a group of self-centred young men, steeped in urban sub-culture of violence, with complete disregard for the worth of human life. The loss, pain and void they created in our hearts when they murdered Janayo in cold blood will never heal.

“No amount of sentence will bring Janayo back. I hope one day; his killers will find it in their hearts to give me the reason why they went to such lengths to kill him. I will never be at peace and will always keep searching for the real reason.”