Criminals plotting robbery lured man to his death: one man found guilty of murder

BY TOBY PORTER
toby@slpmedia.co.uk

Two men and a teenage girl who plotted to lure a driver to rob him have been convicted over their part in his killing.

One man has been found guilty of the murder of the victim, who was lured to his death in Bromley and stabbed 16 times.

Kevin Lusala, 23, of Eldred Drive, Orpington was found guilty of fatally stabbing Ayodeji Habeeb Azeez, 22, on Sunday, November 4 last year in a car park at the rear of Grace Mews.

Lusala, along with three other defendants, was on trial for murder and conspiracy to rob.

But Chaise Gray 24, of Harding Court, Lancaster Road, South Norwood, and a 17 year-old girl, who was 16 at the time, were found guilty of conspiracy to rob, but not of the murder charge they both faced.

Another man, aged 18, who was 17 at the time of the stabbing, was found not guilty of murder or conspiracy to rob.

The jury heard how victim Ayodeji had left his home in Dagenham, east London at around 11am that day and drove his blue BMW to Anerley.

Ayodeji had been tricked into thinking he was meeting up with the female defendant.

But instead a group of young men were waiting to rob him. Lusala was one of them, armed with a large knife.

They attacked Ayodeji while he was still in his car and he was overwhelmed.

Lusala stabbed Ayodeji multiple times before Gray took to the wheel of the victim’s car and drove away with it towards Marlow Road before abandoning it a few streets later.

Ayodeji managed to leave the scene in the opposite direction, shouting for help.

He staggered to an address in Samos Road, where he managed to alert the occupants
before collapsing.

Police and paramedics, including medics from London’s Air Ambulance who were called at 12.30pm were unable to save him, and Ayodeji was pronounced dead at the scene shortly before 1pm.

The Met’s detectives from Specialist Crime South found Ayodeji’s blood at key locations,
including at the scene in the car park and on the driver’s seat of his car.

A post-mortem two days later at the Princess Royal Hospital mortuary confirmed Ayodeji was stabbed 16 times across his body by a knife. Ayodeji has suffered extensive internal and external bleeding.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, who led the murder investigation from Specialist Crime South, said: “These are a tragic set of events that have resulted in the worst possible outcome – the loss of young man’s life. A grieving family have been
deprived of all that Ayodeji may have become.

“Ayodeji was unsuspectingly led to his death that day by someone whom he was hoping to meet as a friend.

“I can’t imagine his horrific realisation to find instead a group of males intent on malicious action.

“I would like to thank his family who have shown such courage during the course of the investigation.”

Sentencing will be on Friday, December 20 at the Old Bailey.

If you have information about someone you suspect to be carrying a weapon or involved in criminal activity and you do not want to speak to police, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting the website at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/.

It is 100 per cent anonymous. They never ask your name and cannot trace your call or IP address.

Young people can also contact the charity Fearless via their website fearless.org. They are also independent from police.

They offer advice on where to get support, and let you pass on information about crime 100 per cent anonymously.

Again, they will never record or trace your call or IP address.