🔴 Teen Dealers Sent Down for Fatal Car Murder Ambush
Hunted through East London in broad daylight, 23-year-old Abdul Jalloh was fatally stabbed in his car by two teen dealers in a ruthless gangland-style execution.
Two teenage drug dealers have been jailed for their roles in a calculated and premeditated fatal stabbing carried out in broad daylight as part of a violent turf dispute in east London. The pair were sentenced at the Old Bailey on Friday 20 June for the killing of 23-year-old Abdul Jalloh, who was ambushed while sitting defenceless behind the wheel of his car in Tower Hamlets last summer.
Shamiah McKenzie, 18 (born 1 August 2006), of Colvin Close, Lewisham SE13, was convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 22 years. His co-defendant, Codee Godfrey, 19 (born 25 December 2005), of Grosvenor Wharf Road, Tower Hamlets E14, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment.
The fatal attack took place at approximately 16:15hrs on Monday 5 August 2024, in New Union Close on the Isle of Dogs. CCTV evidence presented during the six-week trial showed McKenzie and Godfrey cycling in repeated loops around the area for more than an hour as they tracked the movements of Mr Jalloh.
When they located him, the assailants — dressed in hooded clothing — approached the vehicle and launched a targeted knife assault. Mr Jalloh, who was unarmed and seated inside his vehicle, had no opportunity to defend himself. He was stabbed in the neck and collapsed at the scene. Despite the efforts of paramedics and emergency services, he was pronounced dead a short time later.
The investigation by officers from the Met’s Specialist Crime North Command established that the attack was carried out with clear intent and premeditation. Following the stabbing, McKenzie and Godfrey disposed of the murder weapon — a knife and its sheath — and McKenzie’s bicycle by throwing them into the Thames at Caledonian Wharf.
They then retreated from the scene, packed the bloodstained clothing and footwear used in the attack into bags, and changed into casual summer clothes in an attempt to conceal their identities.
Detectives were later able to trace these actions using CCTV and digital forensics. The discarded bags, recovered from nearby bushes, contained clothing linked to the attack along with £3,000 worth of cannabis, £2,000 in cash, a vacuum sealing machine believed to be used in drug packaging, and business cards bearing contact numbers associated with the defendants.
In a move described in court as brazen, both McKenzie and Godfrey returned to the crime scene area on the same evening — blending in with police officers and members of the public who were still actively searching for the killers. Both men surrendered to police on Thursday 8 August and were formally charged the following day.
The jury heard detailed evidence of the manhunt that followed the killing, which included analysis of extensive CCTV footage, mobile phone data and witness testimony. Officers tracked the defendants' movements both before and after the incident, reconstructing the route taken as they loitered and circled the Isle of Dogs area before striking. The court was told that the attack formed part of a localised drug turf war, with Mr Jalloh being deliberately targeted.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller, from Specialist Crime North – who led the investigation, praised the efforts of the officers involved and confirmed that substantial community assistance had also been provided during the case. The jury returned unanimous verdicts at the conclusion of the trial. He further went on to say:
“By carrying and using a knife, their callous act demonstrates once again the devastating and far-reaching effects of knife crime.
“I therefore commend the officers who worked incredibly hard to build evidence against McKenzie and Godfrey in order to prove that there could be no doubt as to their guilt."
“London will be a safer place with them taken off the streets."
“I also want to thank the local community who came forward to assist officers with footage they had on the day. They displayed immense courage in giving evidence to the court.”
The sentencing concludes a complex and resource-intensive prosecution into yet another instance of organised youth violence linked to the illicit drugs trade in London.
Well, that’s all for now. But until our next article, please stay tuned, stay informed, but most of all stay safe, and I’ll see you then.
