The teenager refused to ‘snitch’ and reveal the identity of a male who remains wanted and the judge slammed his ‘ridiculous’ attempts to be ‘clever’ during the trial
A “cowardly” teenage gang member has been jailed after going on the run for two years over being involved in helping to lure, ambush, rob and fatally stab a young dad in the heart in Croydon. Drug dealer Michael Peixoto, 27, was lured into a trap by a masked gang and killed in Thornton Heath.
The five robbers, all wearing face masks, had travelled to the scene in a stolen BMW and confronted Mr Peixoto, who had gone there with a female friend in a Vauxhall Grandland, under the impression they wanted to buy drugs from him on December 19, 2023. He was chased, cornered and fatally stabbed on Mayfield Crescent while his friend was forced out of the car at knifepoint.
One of the robbers, Ali Abdul Basit, who was aged 17 at the time, fled the country and travelled to Dubai, Egypt and Pakistan before returning to the UK on May 3 last year when he was arrested. Forensic evidence matched Basit’s DNA to a cigarette butt discarded at the scene and he was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery following a three-week trial.
Today (Friday, May 22) Basit, now aged 19, from Merton, was jailed at the Old Bailey for eight years and six months. Sentencing, Judge Rosa Dean condemned the “shocking level of violence” used by the gang who were intent on taking Mr Peixoto’s car and finding drugs in a “planned robbery”.
Beforehand, Basit had helped the getaway driver by arranging for false number plates to go on the stolen BMW. Judge Dean said: “Your victim was drawn into a trap in Mayfield Crescent. He thought he was going to be selling drugs.
“As soon as he got out of the car you, all wearing face masks, swarmed over to the car. The victim was unarmed and he ran for it but was chased down.”
Basit got into the Vauxhall and held out a knife to his female friend, who was forced out of the car, she said. The judge went on: “Michael had been cornered and killed in a nearby driveway. He had a number of stab wounds including one directly into the heart.”
She dismissed the defendant’s account to jurors in his trial as “ridiculous”, saying he had made the foolish mistake of trying to be clever. Three other robbers were tried and sentenced in 2024, with Basit only returning to the UK afterwards. Judge Dean told him: “Your cowardly decision to flee meant Michael’s family had to endure a second trial.”
Following the earlier trial, Zak Baako, 30, from Croydon, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years. John Budal, 22, from Thornton Heath, was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery and Omari Peat, 25 of Mitcham, was found guilty of robbery.
Basit refuses to ‘ snitch’ and reveal identity of wanted male
A fifth male remains at large who Basit has refused to identify, telling jurors in his trial he was not a “snitch”. In a victim impact statement read to the court, niece Jessica described Mr Peixoto as a “bubbly and funny person”, “larger than life” and a father to “the most amazing boy”.
She said the family had endured her uncle being “reduced to a drug dealer”, saying he was “so much more than that”. “He was larger than life, full of joy and humour. He had hopes, dreams and a future that you stole from him, from us,” she told the defendant.
Sister Maria told Basit in her statement: “We lost a person who was kind and full of life. I hope you find forgiveness but Michael’s family will never forgive you.”
Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, from Scotland Yard, said: “After Michael’s violent murder, Basit immediately left the country and travelled to Dubai via Venice then Egypt, eventually arriving in Pakistan where he remained for months. Basit returned to the UK after the conviction of three other men in connection with Michael’s death, possibly on the false pretence that he has got away with his actions.
“What Basit didn’t know is that our officers had compiled an extensive amount of evidence, including phone data which linked him to the other three convicted men at the time of the assault. After he was arrested, our officers were able to get his DNA from an asthma inhaler at his house which matched DNA found on a cigarette butt at the scene.
“This case emphasises the Met’s persistent pursual for justice in making sure that anyone who carries out such violent actions is held accountable.”
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