Three Drug Dealers Convicted of Killing Rival in Roehampton | ||||
Teenagers lured victim to flat in Dowdeswell Close then stabbed him
Three teenagers, including a 15-year-old boy, have been convicted of killing a rival drug dealer in Roehampton. They tricked 24-year-old Abdirizak Hassan, known as Abdi, into visiting a block of flats in Dowdeswell Close on 5 May 2021 where they attacked him and stabbed him in the chest. 18-year-old Elijah Roye, of Carey Gardens, Battersea, was found guilty of murder and Muhammed Danso of Fieldfare Road, Bexley was found guilty of manslaughter along with the younger boy who cannot be named for legal reasons. The police were called to the address the morning after the attack and found the body. Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command began an investigation. Witness accounts, forensic evidence, CCTV footage and phone data led to all three suspects being identified. Through collecting this evidence, officers established the group had arrived at the property on the afternoon of the killing. The property was owned by a vulnerable female person and the group used this woman's phone to lure Abdi to the property forcing her to claim she wanted to buy drugs from him. When he arrived at 5.20pm they ambushed him in an attack that lasted several minutes. The trio then left the property and were seen on CCTV heading away from the area, before splitting up and going their separate ways. In a statement, the victim's family said: "Abdi was well loved son, brother and friend. He was a funny, clever, compassionate and big-hearted person. We miss him dearly and will cherish our memories of him forever."
Detective Inspector Adam Guttridge, the senior investigating officer, said, "This case is yet another tragic example of the devastating consequences drugs can have on young lives. "Our painstaking investigation involved reviewing a large amount of CCTV and phone data to link the suspects to one another and to the scene. I am pleased our work means three dangerous individuals will now spend a considerable time in prison. "We also spoke to several witnesses and I would like to praise the bravery of those who spoke to us. The Met committed to reducing violence crime across London but we can't do this without your help. "While today's verdict will not bring Abdirizak back, I do hope it gives his family and friends some closure to know his killers have brought to justice." All three were convicted at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, 27 May and will be sentenced at the same court on Friday, 29 July.
May 28, 2022
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