The first shot smashed through the windscreen of the victim’s car, narrowly missing him, before the second shot through the driver’s side window hit him in the chest
Croydon brothers and a friend who ambused a man in a brutal revenge attack where a sawn-off double-barrelled shotgun was fired twice in a New Addington street have been sentenced to 44 years in jail in total. The three men worked together to carry out the ‘incredibly dangerous’ coordinated attack on a man who had confronted one of them must minutes earlier.
The victim, a man in his 30s, was hunted down while he was standing beside his parked car in Walsh Crescent, New Addington, one evening in May 2025. A black saloon car pulled alongside him before one of the passengers – Tevin Nzita – got out and fired two shots at close range.
The victim managed to jump into the driver’s seat of his car moments before the attack. The first shot smashed through the windscreen and narrowly missed him. Nzita then ran around the car before firing a second shot through the driver’s side window, striking him in the chest. Despite suffering serious injuries, the victim survived and has since recovered.
Immediate armed police investigation
Armed and local Met Police officers quickly secured the scene in New Addington while detectives started investigating. The victim made his way to a nearby hospital before officers arrived but they recovered a mobile phone from his car, which contained footage of the victim and another man confronting Nzita around ten minutes before the shooting.
Detectives identified Nzita as the suspected gunman within hours and quickly worked out the shooting was a targeted retaliation to the earlier confrontation.
The investigation established Nzita fired the shotgun, Anthony Da Sousa drove the saloon car used in the attack and his brother Christopher Da Sousa played a key role in finding the victim, giving directions and assisting with preparations beforehand.
Phone records showed the defendants were in contact at crucial moments before and after the shooting, while location data placed them at key locations.
Detectives tracked the saloon car to Old Coulsdon, around six miles from the scene of the New Addington shooting, where it had initially been hidden beneath a cover. Anthony Da Sousa had arranged for damage to the car to be repaired before having cloned number plates fitted.
Detective Constable John Davis, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, who led the investigation, said: “This was an incredibly dangerous attack carried out in a residential street where innocent members of the public could easily have been caught in the crossfire.
“The offenders acted together to locate the victim, track his movements and carry out a planned shooting using a sawn-off shotgun capable of killing. Their actions showed a complete disregard for human life.
“Our investigation combined CCTV enquiries, forensic evidence, mobile phone analysis and eyewitness accounts to build an overwhelming case that proved the role each man played.
“The Met remains relentless in targeting those involved in gun crime. Since 2018, firearms discharges in London have fallen by almost 90 per cent and last year we seized 75 per cent more firearms than the previous year. Every illegal firearm we recover is one less weapon capable of devastating our communities.”
Trial and sentencing
All three defendants were convicted at Woolwich Crown Court, on June 4. Nzita was convicted of attempted murder while Anthony Da Sousa was convicted of wounding with intent.
Both were also convicted of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life. Christopher Da Sousa was convicted of encouraging or assisting the commission of one or more offences.
They were given the following sentences at Woolwich Crown Court today (Thursday, July 23).
Tevin Nzita, 29, of Warbank Crescent, New Addington was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Anthony Da Sousa, 30, of Station Approach, Coulsdon was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Christopher Da Sousa, 27, of Mickleham Way, New Addington, was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
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