A drill rapper has been locked up for life for murdering a new father after falsely trying to pass incriminating DNA evidence like that of his twin brother.
Javell Hall, 18, and his co-accused Kofi Abusah, 20, were convicted of the murder of railwayman Asante Campbell in Hendon following a trial at Old Bailey.
On Friday, they were each sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum sentence of 19 years.
In a victim impact statement, Mr. Campbell’s mother Angela paid tribute to his “contagious presence” and his charitable nature.
Ms Campbell recounted how he stepped in to play football with a boy alone in a park; supported the family of a suicidal girl; and even dropped off a stranger at the airport.
She said, “It was all done with a smile on his face, with him often saying, ‘I love helping people.’
Mr. Campbell and his “childhood sweetheart” fiancee shared a unique bond, his mother said.
She added, “Her life was shattered and their exciting plans for the future were shattered.
“Their life apparently ended with the birth of their beautiful baby girl just weeks before she was taken, he adored her.
“It goes without saying that we are immersed in a deep sadness that she could never feel the great character of her father or have him by her side at each of her milestones.”
The court heard how Mr Campbell, 24, kissed his fiancee and their baby girl to wish her good night before leaving for a shift on the evening of February 29, 2019.
He was waiting to meet a colleague from the Hendon estate when he was attacked by a group of men, they told jurors.
Mr. Campbell was stabbed through the window of his car and died of his injuries.
In his defense, Hall claimed that the DNA matching his profile found on the sheaf of a large knife used in the stabbing must have belonged to his twin.
Kofi Abusah, left, and Javell Hall Credit: Met Police
He said, “It’s not my DNA. I never touched this knife. If it’s not mine, it must be hers.
But a jury rejected his request and found Hall, of Hayes, and Abusah, of Edgware, guilty of murder.
The court heard on Friday how Hall escaped arrest until June of last year by traveling to Leeds and Manchester.
The well-known rapper was previously convicted of having a large combat knife in September 2016, shortly before his 14th birthday.
At the time of the murder, he was on bail for an incident at a supermarket for which others have admitted the fight.
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Source: www.times-series.co.uk
This notice was published: 2021-04-23 13:25:39