BBC

Drug dealer's killers traced by DNA on cigarettes

Two men who tried to rob a drug dealer in south London of his stash of cocaine have been convicted after they were identified from DNA left on cigarettes discarded at the scene.

Michael Afonso-Peixoto, 27, was tricked into driving to Thornton Heath in December last year by someone offering to buy drugs from him but was instead ambushed, the trial at the Old Bailey heard.

Four men have been jailed for life for the murder of a teenager who was shot in the head at point-blank range outside a party and then slashed with a machete.

Tyler McDermott, 17, was attacked without warning in the early hours of 13 April last year in Tottenham, north London. An Old Bailey jury was shown CCTV footage of the moment he was shot and then slashed as he lay defenceless on the ground.

The four men were convicted in June following a three-month trial. They received minimum prison terms of between 13 and 30 years.

Passengers warned of train delays for signal works

Rail passengers are being warned signal upgrades in south London are expected to cause delays for a week.

No trains will run on parts of the National Rail and London Overground from 26 October to 1 November, the same time as the half-term school holidays.

The £400m investment works will take place between Crystal Palace, Tulse Hill and Peckham Rye.

Thameslink, Southern and London Overground trains will be affected.

Police officer cleared of murdering Chris Kaba

A police officer has been cleared of murdering a man he shot in the head in south London two years ago.

Martyn Blake, 40, shot Chris Kaba, who was unarmed, during a police vehicle stop in Streatham in September 2022. The officer had said he did not mean to kill him but feared lives were in danger.

Mr Kaba's family said they had been left with a sense of injustice and were "devastated".

Officer denies intentionally aiming for Kaba's head

The police officer who shot Chris Kaba has told a jury he did not intend to aim for his head and kill him.

Martyn Blake, 40, told the Old Bailey that he was aiming at the central body mass of Mr Kaba, who was driving an Audi Q8 at the time, and intended only to stop the car. He denies the murder charge against him.

The 24-year-old was shot in the head in Streatham, south-east London on 5 September 2022, dying in hospital shortly after midnight the following day.

Officer 'filled with dread' before Kaba shooting

A Metropolitan Police firearms officer accused of murdering Chris Kaba has told a court he was "filled with dread" and thought one of his colleagues could have died.

Martyn Blake shot the unarmed 24-year-old in the head during a police vehicle stop in Streatham, south London, in September 2022.

The officer denies intending to kill Mr Kaba and the murder charge against him.

Chris Kaba told a friend the police were behind him minutes before he was shot dead through the windscreen of his car by a firearms officer in south London, a court has heard.

Elisha Fizul called the 24-year-old on WhatsApp 10 minutes before he was killed by Martyn Blake - who denies murder - during a police stop in Streatham, the Old Bailey was told.

His last words before they lost contact were "Lish, one sec, I think there is police behind me", jurors heard.

Officer 'sorry' for 'necessary' shooting, court told

A police officer who shot an unarmed man dead has said he is "truly sorry" for the "enormous distress" felt by the family, but insisted it was "entirely proportionate, lawful and necessary".

Metropolitan Police firearms officer Martyn Blake, 38, denies murdering 24-year-old Chris Kaba who was shot in the head during an armed police operation in Streatham, south London, in September 2022.

Officer feared Chris Kaba would kill him - court

A firearms officer who raised his gun at the same time as a colleague who shot Chris Kaba dead during a police vehicle stop feared he would be run over and killed, a jury has been told.

The unnamed Met Police officer, referred to as DS87, was standing next to marksman Martyn Blake when Mr Blake shot the 24-year-old in an Audi that had been stopped in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022.

Mr Blake, 40, is on trial at the Old Bailey accused of murdering Mr Kaba, a charge he denies.

Policeman feared Chris Kaba would kill, court told

A police marksman shot Chris Kaba dead believing "one or many" officers could be killed as the suspect attempted to escape at "any cost", a court has heard.

Martyn Blake, who denies murder, shot the 24-year-old in the head through the windscreen of a car during a police stop in Streatham, south London, in September 2022.

Moments before, Mr Kaba had tried to get away by driving forward and then reversing into a police car that had blocked him in, the Old Bailey heard.