Murderers of rapper Umar Tufail given long sentences

Umar Tufail aka. Humuh

Umar Tufail aka. Humuh

The teenagers convicted of the ‘execution’ of  rapper Umar Tufail were sentenced to life imprisonment by a judge at the Old Bailey today.

Tufail, 25, was shot outside his home in South Norwood on July 15 last year. Sanchez Thomas and Kyrone Daley, both 19, were found guilty of the murder on Tuesday.

In spite of claiming during the trial that he was “just trying to make peace”, Thomas is believed to have pulled the trigger and faces at least 25 years in prison, whilst conspirator Daley will spend at least 22 years behind bars.

Thomas is a member of Croydon’s ‘Squeeze Section’ gang. At the time of the shooting, Tufail’s brother Amir, 18, a member of rival group Block Cartel, believed the bullet was meant for him, in retaliation to a stabbing.

However, during the four week long trial, it became apparent that the boys had “deliberately executed” Umar as part of an ongoing feud between Amir and Daley.

Prosecutor William Boyce addressed the jurors before they made their decision. He said: “Two young men have driven through south London with a real, loaded gun.

“One of them has then deliberately executed a young man. You do not shoot someone in the head unless you intend to kill him.”

Umar’s father, Sajid Tufail, described his dead son as “a gentle soul” who “gave without asking for anything in return”. He applauded the jury when the verdict was announced, but left court in tears.

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