Two convicted of murder after fatal shooting in Willesden

Two men have been found guilty of the murder of a mum-of-two who was shot dead in Willesden in 2024.

It follows an extensive investigation by homicide detectives, showing the Met’s commitment to tackling serious violence and bringing offenders to justice.

The team used digital forensics to build a case against the defendants to leave no doubt in the jury’s mind of their guilt.

The two men were found guilty at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 21 April of murdering Michelle Sadio, 44, who was shot dead as she attended a wake in Willesden in 2024. They will be sentenced at the same court in June.

Detective Chief Inspector Phil Clarke, who led the investigation, said:

“Our thoughts remain with Michelle’s loved ones. They have been remarkably strong and supportive during our investigation and I hope today’s result offers them a measure of comfort.

“Securing justice today would not have been possible without the dedicated, diligent work of my team. We hope this investigation demonstrates the Met’s commitment to pursuing high‑harm offenders and ensuring that those who commit acts of brazen violence are held to account.”

The investigation

At around 21:15hrs on 14 December 2024, police and the London Ambulance Service were called to reports of a shooting in Gifford Road, NW10.

Shots were fired from a black Kia Niro car with distinctive alloys. Michelle Sadio, who had been attending a wake at the River of Life Elim Pentecostal Church, was shot and was found by officers and paramedics with significant injuries. Despite their efforts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two other men, both aged in their 30s, also suffered gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital for treatment. One of the men continues to live with the life-changing effects of his injuries.

Michelle, a mother of two young children, and the two men, were innocent victims of a dispute between two gangs in north west London.

The car used in the fatal attack was found completely burnt out the following day, 15 December 2024,on a recreation ground in the Chalkhill Estate, HA9.

Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command launched an investigation but, from the outset, faced significant challenges. No eyewitnesses were able to describe the occupants of the vehicle the shots were fired from, no firearm was recovered at the scene and the offenders had made deliberate efforts to destroy evidence and conceal their identities.

An early breakthrough came within days of the murder, when police forensic specialists recovered DNA from a petrol can left beside the burnt‑out getaway car used during the attack.

Hundreds of hours of CCTV footage was recovered and reviewed by officers. It included video from a garage in Neasden showing a suspect, Amir Salem, 20, buying fuel on 13 December 2024, the day before the murder.

Thousands of pages of telephone data and information from dozens of ULEZ and ANPR numberplate traffic cameras were analysed, as specialists from teams across the Met – including intelligence officers and local policing units – worked together to trace contact between the suspects and track their movements.

That work led officers to Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, who prosecutors said was involved in organising the shooting in the hope of hitting a member of a rival gang who was attending the wake.

He was careful to give himself an alibi for the night of the murder. Officers obtained information from Allen-Thomas’s curfew tag – fitted after his release from prison for a drugs offence – and an Uber account registered to another defendant that made a cab journey at the exact time of the incident, which appeared to support their alibis.

Two men, who police believe travelled from North Wembley to Willesden in the stolen Kia to carry out the shooting, remain at large.

Amir Salem, who bought the fuel used to torch the getaway car, acted as a go-between – with phone data obtained by detectives pointing to him communicating with the gunmen in the car via social media messenger before relaying news of the shooting in a call to Allen-Thomas three minutes after the incident.

Despite the deliberate steps taken by the offenders to evade detection, several men were ultimately identified and arrested thanks to hundreds of hours of work by the Met’s specialist homicide detectives. Work continues to identify the whereabouts of two outstanding suspects.

The two men convicted today, Tuesday, 21 April are:

• Perry Allen-Thomas, 27 (24.06.1998) of Queenscourt, Wembley was found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder
• Amir Salem, 20 (07.03.2006) of Barnhill Road, Wembley was found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder

Two other men were found not guilty of all charges.