A group of young men have been found guilty of murder following a “planned execution” in West London last year. Janayo Lucima, 21, was lured out of his house in Barons Court and shot on April 1 amid a dispute over drugs.
Mohamed Mansaray, of Neasden Lane, fired one bullet into his chest on Comeragh Road before fleeing the scene, jurors were told. Although the 18-year-old pulled the trigger, the doorstep killing was orchestrated by Khuder Al Kurdi, 22, from his home on Fulham Palace Road, the Old Bailey heard.
He called Mr Jucima pretending to set up a drug deal, before sharing his whereabouts to Mansaray and co-defendants Muktar Said, 23, of Hammersmith; Issa Siteri, 19, of Kensington; Yusuf Abdi, 19, of Westminster; and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. CCTV footage showed the group meeting at Fabian Road, Fulham, on the evening of the murder.
Mansaray was seen flashing the gun that would later fire the fatal shot as they waited. The others were with him to provide “back-up, support and encouragement”, the trial heard.
After receiving a signal from Al-Kurdi, they made their way to Comeragh Road, with some changing their clothes en route. Video footage showed the defendants concealing themselves along the street, with Mansaray positioning himself opposite Mr Lucima’s front door.
A call was made to Al-Kurdi, who phoned Janayo and coaxed him outside on the false pretences of collecting drugs. Less than a minute later, Janayo was fatally shot.
The group then took off, discarding weapons they had been carrying as they ran. These were later forensically linked back to a number of the defendants.
Out of the six, five left the country, with Mansaray and Said arrested in Glasgow and the 17-year-old extradited from Spain. Two others – Siteri and Abdi – travelled to Morrocco, and arrested when they returned to the UK.
Each member of the group was found them guilty of murder on Tuesday, July 15 after the jury deliberated for 33 hours and 34 minutes. They are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey later this year.
A verdict could not be decided for another man and boy charged with murder and a retrial will be held in 2026.
Detective Chief Inspector Brian Howie, senior investigating officer from the Specialist Crime Command at the Metropolitan Police said: “Our thoughts are with Janayo’s family, who have all been deeply affected by the senseless violence that night. His family attended each day of the trial and listened to every harrowing detail of the traumatic events of the night he was killed.
“None of the defendants provided a truthful explanation as to why he was killed. Janayo’s family will never be able to understand why their loved one was lured to his death and into the sights of the waiting gunman as soon as he emerged, with no opportunity to defend himself.
“This was not a random killing. The defendants came with murderous intent, armed not only with a handgun but also with knives.
“Each of the defendants had their role to play and all of them were participants in the murder of Janayo. With joint participation comes joint responsibility.”
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