Key Points
- Michelle Sadio, a 44-year-old mother of two and legal administrator, was fatally shot outside the River of Life Pentecostal Church in Willesden, north London, on 14 December 2024, during a wake for 80-year-old Dianne Boatong attended by around 100 mourners, including children as young as five.
- Two others injured: Kenneth Amoah, 39, Transport for London contractor, shot in the back and paralysed below the waist; Kadeem Francis, 32, self-employed, shot in the foot.
- Intended target: rapper Trapstar Toxic, real name Adetokunbo Ajibola, 33, present at the event.
- At around 9 pm, shots were fired from a stolen black Kia with false number plates into the crowd on the pavement; at least four shots were discharged, the shooter unknown.
- After shooting, the car was doused in petrol (supplied by Amir Salem) and set alight.
- Weapon described as a “gang gun” used twice before, including an incident outside a pizzeria where 11 rounds were fired, injuring one person in the ankle; no link to defendants.
- Defendants: Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, Wembley; Amir Salem, 20, Wembley; Shaquille Sutherland (Lil Shak), 26, Wembley; Tahjin Sommersall, 19, Feltham. All charged with murder and two counts of attempted murder; Sommersall also with possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life. All denied charges.
- Prosecution alleged Allen-Thomas and Sutherland organised the shooting but were absent; Salem disposed of the vehicle, supplied petrol, relayed messages; Sommersall was in the car with Ibrah Sayed and Hassan Mohammed, who fled the country.
- On Tuesday (verdict date around 21 April 2026), the Old Bailey jury found Allen-Thomas and Salem guilty of murder and two attempted murders; Sutherland and Sommersall were cleared.
- Mrs Justice McGowan remanded convicted men in custody for sentencing later.
- Sommersall testified he was on a council estate in Wembley, not in Kia; others denied involvement.
Willesden (The Londoner News) April 21, 2026 – Two men have been convicted at the Old Bailey of the murder of innocent mother-of-two Michelle Sadio in a drive-by shooting outside a church wake in north-west London, with two others injured in the indiscriminate attack targeting a rapper. Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, and Amir Salem, 20, both from Wembley, were found guilty of murder and two counts of attempted murder following a trial that laid bare the orchestration of the violence. The verdicts came after jurors deliberated on evidence linking the pair to the fatal shooting on 14 December 2024 outside the River of Life Pentecostal Church.
What Happened in the Fatal Shooting?
The tragedy unfolded at approximately 9 pm as around 100 mourners, including young children, stood on the pavement outside the church following the wake for 80-year-old Dianne Boatong. As reported by ITV News London, a black Kia pulled up, and at least four shots were fired into the crowd, striking innocent bystanders. Michelle Sadio, 44, a legal administrator, was hit and died at the scene despite emergency efforts.
Kenneth Amoah, 39, a Transport for London contractor, suffered a gunshot to the back, leaving him paralysed below the waist, while self-employed Kadeem Francis, 32, was wounded in the foot. The Evening Standard detailed how the Kia, stolen and fitted with false plates, sped off after the attack before being doused in petrol and torched nearby. Amir Salem had purchased the petrol used to destroy the vehicle, according to prosecution evidence presented at trial.
Who Were the Convicted Men?
Perry Allen-Thomas, 27, from Wembley, north London, was accused of organising the shooting but ensured he was not present at the scene, as alleged by prosecutors led by Crispin Aylett KC of QEB Hollis Whiteman. Amir Salem, 20, also from Wembley, was said to have relayed communications between the car’s occupants and Allen-Thomas on the night, and assisted in disposing of the getaway car.
Both men were found guilty on Tuesday of the murder of Ms Sadio and the attempted murders of Mr Amoah and Mr Francis after the Old Bailey trial. Mrs Justice McGowan remanded them in custody pending sentencing at a later date, as confirmed across reports from BBC News and ITV.
Who Were Cleared and Why?
Shaquille Sutherland, 26, a rapper known as Lil Shak from Wembley, and Tahjin Sommersall, 19, from Feltham, west London, were acquitted of all charges. The prosecution claimed Sutherland, alongside Allen-Thomas, had incited the attack, but the jury cleared him. Sommersall was alleged to have been in the Kia with two others, Ibrah Sayed and Hassan Mohammed, who fled the country and remain at large, their whereabouts unknown to police.
In his evidence, Tahjin Sommersall denied being in the vehicle, stating he was on a council estate in Wembley at the time of the 9pm shooting. All four defendants – Allen-Thomas, Salem, Sutherland, and Sommersall – had pleaded not guilty to murder, attempted murder, and Sommersall’s additional firearm charge from the outset. The other three denied any knowledge or involvement.
What Was the Intended Target?
The shots were fired with the intent to kill rapper Trapstar Toxic, whose real name is Adetokunbo Ajibola, 33, who was attending the wake, according to evidence outlined in the Evening Standard. Ms Sadio and the injured men were innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire outside the River of Life Pentecostal Church in Willesden.
Premier Christian News reported early on the incident’s context at the church wake, highlighting the presence of children as young as five among the mourners. No connection was suggested between Ajibola and the victim or injured parties.
How Was the Attack Carried Out?
The black Kia, stolen and bearing false plates, approached the crowd before shots rang out from within, though the trigger-puller remains unidentified. Post-shooting, the car was set ablaze with petrol procured by Salem, as jurors heard during the trial covered by ITV News.
The firearm was described as a “gang gun” previously used in two incidents months earlier, including one where a car occupant fired 11 rounds at males outside a pizzeria, injuring one in the ankle. There was no suggestion the defendants were involved in those prior shootings, as clarified in court.
What Did the Defendants Say?
Giving evidence, Tahjin Sommersall firmly denied presence in the Kia, claiming an alibi on a Wembley council estate. As detailed in BBC trial coverage, the other defendants – Perry Allen-Thomas, Amir Salem, and Shaquille Sutherland – denied any involvement or prior knowledge of the plot.
Prosecutors alleged Allen-Thomas and Sutherland “put others up to the shooting” without being there themselves, while Salem handled logistics like vehicle disposal and updates. All four maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings at the Old Bailey.
What Is the Background of the Case?
Charges were filed months after the 14 December 2024 incident, with Perry Allen-Thomas, Amir Salem, and Shaquille Sutherland initially charged in January 2025, as per Yahoo UK News. A fourth arrest followed, leading to Tahjin Sommersall’s inclusion, reported by Premier Christian News in March 2025.
The case drew attention for its brazen nature at a church gathering, with early reports from ITV and the Metropolitan Police noting the community’s shock. Crispin Aylett KC led the prosecution, as noted by QEB Hollis Whiteman.
When and Where Will Sentencing Occur?
Mrs Justice McGowan remanded Perry Allen-Thomas and Amir Salem into custody following the guilty verdicts on Tuesday, with sentencing scheduled for a later date yet to be specified. The Old Bailey trial concluded after examining extensive evidence, including the car’s destruction and weapon history.
No further details on the exact sentencing date were available immediately after the verdicts, but the judge’s decision underscores the gravity of the convictions.
Who Were the Victims?
Michelle Sadio, 44, mother of two, worked as a legal administrator and was simply attending the wake when struck fatally. Kenneth Amoah, 39, now paralysed, and Kadeem Francis, 32, embody the random toll of gang-related violence spilling into public spaces.
A friend witnessed Ms Sadio gunned down, as recounted in earlier BBC reporting from the trial. The wake for Dianne Boatong, 80, turned tragic, affecting an entire community.
