Two men jailed for life for drive-by murder of mother-of-two outside wake at London church
Michelle Sadio had been attending a wake in Willesden when she was caught in the gunfire
Two men who gunned down a mother-of-two in a drive-by shooting at a wake in north-west London have been jailed for life.
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Michelle Sadio had been attending a wake at the River of Life Pentecostal Church in Willesden when a car approached and four shots were fired at a group of mourners in December 2024.
Michelle, 44, was caught in the gunfire and died at the scene.
Two men in their 30s were also injured, leaving one of them paralysed.
Killers Perry Allen-Thomas and Amir Salem were both jailed for life today, with Allen-Thomas handed a minimum term of 38 years and Salem 26 years.
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The intended target was said to have been a 33-year-old rapper called Trapstar Toxic, whose real name is Adetokunbo Ajibola, who was also at the event.
Ms Sadio had been among around 100 mourners, including children as young as five, to attend the wake for Dianne Boatong, 80.
At around 9pm, guests were outside on the pavement when a black Kia pulled up and shots were fired into the crowd.
Ms Sadio, a legal administrator, was hit and died at the scene.
Transport for London contractor Kenneth Amoah, 39, was hit in the back and paralysed below the waist, and self-employed Kadeem Francis, 32, was shot in the foot.
Allen-Thomas, from Wembley, north London, was said to have helped organise the shooting but ensured he was elsewhere at the time.
The Kia used in the attack had been stolen and was being driven with false number plates.
Salem, from Wembley, had bought some of the petrol used to set the vehicle on fire after the shooting, jurors heard.
On the night of the shooting, Salem was in contact with the Kia occupants and reported back to Allen-Thomas, jurors were told.
At least four shots were fired, although it was not known who in the Kia pulled the trigger.
The prosecution had alleged two of the men in the Kia had fled the country after the incident.
The weapon used in the shooting had been used twice before in the previous few months, and was said to be a “gang gun”.
In one of the earlier incidents, the occupant of a car opened fire on a group of males outside a pizzeria, discharging 11 rounds and hitting one person in the ankle.
There was no suggestion the defendants were involved.
During the trial, the defendants denied being involved in any way or knowing anything about the incident.