Two men found guilty of killing woman outside north London church in drive-by shooting

Two men have been found guilty of murdering an innocent woman and injuring two more people in a drive-by shooting outside a wake.

Michelle Sadio, a mother of two, was shot outside the River of Life Pentecostal church in Willesden in north London on 14 December 2024. She had been among about 100 mourners, including children as young as five, at the wake for 80-year-old Dianne Boatong.

At about 9pm, guests were on the pavement when a black Kia pulled up and fired shots into the crowd. Sadio, a legal administrator, died at the scene. Kenneth Amoah, a Transport for London contractor, was hit in the back and paralysed below the waist. Kadeem Francis, who is self-employed, was shot in the foot.

The intended target was said to have been a rapper called Trapstar Toxic, whose real name is Adetokunbo Ajibola.

Perry Allen-Thomas, Amir Salem, Shaquille Sutherland and Tahjin Sommersall were all 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. All four denied all of the charges.

Image of the black Kia Niro driven by the suspects who then fired shots, killing Michelle Sadio. Photograph: Metropolitan Police/PA

At least four shots were fired from the Kia; though it was not known who pulled the trigger. It was alleged Allen-Thomas and Sutherland put others up to the shooting, though they were not present when it was carried out.

Salem was accused of helping to dispose of the vehicle, and of reporting between the car’s occupants and Allen-Thomas and Sutherland on the night of the shooting.

The prosecution claimed Sommersall was in the car with two other people – Ibrah Sayed and Hassan Mohammed – both of whom were said to have fled the country, and whose exact whereabouts remain unknown to the police.

On Tuesday, Allen-Thomas and Salem were found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder after an Old Bailey trial. Sutherland, a rapper known as Lil Shak, and Sommersall were cleared.

The car used in the attack had been stolen and was being driven with false number plates. After the shooting, it was doused in petrol supplied by Salem and set alight.

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, the occupant of a car opened fire outside a pizzeria, discharging 11 rounds and hitting one person in the ankle. There was no suggestion the defendants in this case were involved in that incident.