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Fourth man jailed after death of Andre Aderemi who moved to Chatham from Croydon after safety concerns

A fourth man has been jailed after a bitter feud ended in the death of a teenager who fled to Medway just weeks before.

Andre Aderemi and his family moved to Chatham as they were concerned for their safety.

The 19-year-old returned to the Monks Hill Estate in Heather Way, Croydon, on August 16, 2016 where a long-running feud culminated in his murder.

Andre Aderemi, 19, was stabbed to death. Picture: Met Police
Andre Aderemi, 19, was stabbed to death. Picture: Met Police

Witnesses saw Andre being chased by a group of males carrying knives and other weapons, with a white vehicle also in pursuit.

The gang caught up with Andre after a short chase, and Andre fell to the ground where he was stabbed and kicked until he was unconscious.

The suspects then got into the vehicle and drove off.

Jamell Lonergan, 20, of Woodcroft Road, Thornton Heath, pleaded guilty to manslaughter at the Old Bailey on Friday. He was jailed for 10 years.

Jamell Lonergan, 20, of Woodcroft Road, Thornton Heath. Pic: Met Police
Jamell Lonergan, 20, of Woodcroft Road, Thornton Heath. Pic: Met Police

Lonergan was due to be retried for murder in October, after a jury was unable to reach a verdict in the original 11-week trial which ended on May 3. The prosecution accepted the guilty manslaughter plea.

Rodney Mukasa, 20, of Green View Avenue, Croydon, and Ali Zahawy, 19, of Bramble Close, Croydon, were found guilty of murder on May 3 and were sentenced to life imprisonment, with a recommendation to serve a minimum of 22 years.

Fabio Cela, 19, of Fryston Avenue, Croydon, was found not guilty of murder but was convicted of manslaughter. He was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, with an extended licence period of four years.

The court heard that Andre and Cela were known to one another. The pair had fallen out and there were several violent confrontations between them in the months leading up to the murder.

Fabio Cela, 19, of Fryston Avenue, Croydon. Pic: Met Police
Fabio Cela, 19, of Fryston Avenue, Croydon. Pic: Met Police

Upon learning Andre would be visiting south London, Cela, Mukasa and Zahawy planned to attack him and armed themselves.

Police were called to the estate at around 7.40pm after reports of a stabbing and on arrival, officers found the Andre with multiple stab wounds and other injuries.

He was taken to a south London Hospital but died later that evening.

A post-mortem examination carried out on August 17 gave the cause of death as a stab wound to the chest.

Ali Zahawy, 19, of Bramble Close, Croydon. Pic: Met Police
Ali Zahawy, 19, of Bramble Close, Croydon. Pic: Met Police

As part of their inquiries, officers recovered a bag containing bloodstained clothing found to belong to Mukasa.

A metal pole was found at the scene by officers. It had Andre’s blood on one end and Cela’s DNA on the other.

Three knives were located in Spout Hill shortly after the murder, having been thrown from a car. One of the knives had Andre’s blood on it.

Inquiries by the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command showed that Lonergan drove the attackers to and from the scene, and took Cela to hospital as he was injured in the altercation.

Rodney Mukasa, 20, of Green View Avenue, Croydon. Pic: Met Police
Rodney Mukasa, 20, of Green View Avenue, Croydon. Pic: Met Police

Det Ch Insp Sam Price, who led the investigation, said he hoped Andre’s family felt some relief that Lonergan has admitted his part in Andre’s death.

He said: “Lonergan brought the killers to Andre in his vehicle, followed them as they chased Andre down on foot, and he was the getaway driver after Andre was mortally injured so his role was significant.

“I hope that Andre’s family, who have already endured a long trial and faced the prospect of more court proceedings, feel some relief that Lonergan has now admitted to his part in the attack and been jailed.”

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