Two men, who brutally stabbed an unarmed man as he sat behind the wheel of his car in Tower Hamlets last year, have been jailed.

Shamiah McKenzie, 18 (01.08.06), of Colvin Close, Lewisham, was sentenced to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 22 years in prison, for the murder of 23-year-old Abdul Jalloh at the Old Bailey on Friday, 20 June.

Codee Godfrey, 19 (25.12.05), of Grosvenor Wharf Road, Tower Hamlets, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for manslaughter at the same hearing.

Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller, from Specialist Crime North – who led the investigation – said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Abdul Jalloh, who lost a loved one in shocking circumstances.

“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.”

McKenzie was found guilty of murder and Godfrey, was found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Thursday, 12 June, in a trial which started on Monday, 28 April,

The court heard that police were called at around 16:15hrs on Monday, 5 August 2024 to reports of a stabbing on New Union Close, E14.

When Abdul was attacked, he was unable to defend himself as he was unarmed and vulnerable behind the wheel of his car.

Despite the best efforts of emergency services, Abdul died a short time later as a result of a stab wound in his neck.

A manhunt began immediately, with officers painstakingly combing through hours of CCTV footage and digital evidence to understand what took place, identify the attackers and track their movements after they fled the scene.

As a result of this meticulous work, officers were able to show the jury how the pair had been circling the Isle of Dogs on bicycles for more than an hour looking for Abdul.

After the attack they threw the knife and its sheath and McKenzie’s bicycle into the Thames at Caledonian Wharf. As paramedics tried to save Abdul’s life, the pair packed their bloody clothing and footwear they had been wearing into bags.

Officers then uncovered that they changed into summer clothes and then disposed of the bags and two mobile phones in nearby bushes. In the bag officers found £3k worth of cannabis, £2k of cash, a vacuum sealing machine used to package drugs, and business cards containing their phone numbers.

McKenzie and Godfrey were so confident in their changed appearance that they returned to the Thames Path which was full of officers who were searching for Abdul’s killers.

McKenzie and Godfrey turned themselves in to police on Thursday, 8 August 2024 and were charged the following day.