In a chilling act of violence that rocked Tower Hamlets, two teenagers have been jailed for the brutal murder of 23-year-old Abdul Jalloh, who was fatally stabbed in his car.
On June 20, 2025, at the Old Bailey, 18-year-old Shamiah McKenzie was sentenced to a minimum of 22 years behind bars for murder. Codee Godfrey, 19, received a nine-year sentence for manslaughter.
The shocking crime unfolded on August 5, 2024, when Jalloh, defenseless and unarmed, was ambushed at 4:15 PM on New Union Close, E14.
A fatal neck wound ended his life despite desperate efforts by paramedics.
Detective Chief Inspector Paul Waller called the attack “callous,” highlighting the devastating toll of knife crime.
“London is safer with these killers off the streets,” he declared.
CCTV footage exposed the duo’s cold-blooded hunt, circling the Isle of Dogs on bicycles for over an hour, stalking their prey.
After the savage stabbing, they tossed the murder weapon—a knife and its sheath—into the Thames at Caledonian Wharf, alongside McKenzie’s bike.
In a brazen move, they swapped their blood-soaked clothes for summer attire, ditching bags containing £3,000 in cannabis, £2,000 cash, a drug-packaging machine, and business cards with their numbers in nearby bushes.
Undeterred, McKenzie and Godfrey strutted back to the crime-ridden Thames Path, blending in among officers hunting Jalloh’s killers.
Their arrogance crumbled when they turned themselves in on August 8, 2024, charged the next day.
A meticulous investigation, fueled by brave community members providing footage, sealed their fate.
The jury convicted McKenzie of murder and Godfrey of manslaughter on June 12, 2025, after a trial that laid bare their ruthless crime.
Waller praised the community’s courage and the officers’ relentless evidence-gathering, ensuring justice for Jalloh’s grieving loved ones.
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