‘Cold-blooded’ killer jailed over Snapchat ‘honey trap’ stabbing

A “cold-blooded” killer has been jailed for at least 30 years for stabbing a university student to death after he was lured into a “honey trap” on Snapchat.

Ayodeji Azeez, 22, from Dagenham, east London, was targeted by a gang of robbers after “proudly” posing on social media with his new BMW car.

A 17-year-old girl, who was spared jail, had ensnared the Metropolitan University media student on Snapchat under the direction of killer Kevin Lusala, 23, known as Krimbo.

On Sunday November 4 2018, rather than going to church with his family, Mr Azeez set off from his home in Dagenham and drove to meet the girl in Anerley, south London.

The teenager gave her innocent victim a hug before directing him towards a car park, where Lusala and another robber from south-east London were lying in wait to ambush him.

She told jurors: “I got into the car and hugged him. I knew he was about to be robbed.

“I felt sorry for him but I had no feelings for him. I just did not want to be there when it was happening.”

When he tried to resist the robbery, Lusala stabbed Mr Azeez 16 times with a large knife.

Mr Azeez stumbled into the road and was pronounced dead, despite efforts of paramedics to save him.

Chaise Gray, 24, then stole Mr Azeez’s car but abandoned it a few streets away, jurors heard.

Following a trial, Lusala, who went by Krimbo and Krimz on social media, was found guilty of murder and conspiracy to rob.

Judge Mark Dennis QC sentenced him to life with a minimum term of 30 years, plus 12 years to run concurrently for the robbery.

The judge told him: “This was a truly shocking and cruel attack carried out in broad daylight in a residential area.”

Such “gratuitous violence” would have horrified and traumatised anyone who witnessed it, he said.

The court heard Lusala had a string of convictions dating back to when he was 14, including for robbery and possessing a 10cm knife.

Gray swore and muttered angrily as he was jailed for 10 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to rob.

The 17-year-old girl, who ran off before the killing, wept as she was handed a three-year youth rehabilitation order, having admitted plotting to rob Mr Azeez.

A supporter of Gray reacted angrily in the public gallery and shouted at the judge: “Are you f***ing dumb? My brother got 10 years.”

Judge Dennis said the conspiracy to rob Mr Azeez was helped by the “comparative anonymity provided by social media”.

He said Lusala was a manipulative character and the “vulnerable” female defendant had been out under “undue influence” by older man.

Mr Azeez had worked as a driver for Amazon as he studied media at Metropolitan University, his mother Toyin Adeigbe said.

She said: “No parent should ever have to bury their child and definitely not lose him to such a cold-blooded murderer.”

The carer and mother-of-four described her son as a “caring, wonderful, young man” who was “loving and homely”.

Ms Adeigbe, 50, who had attended the trial of her son’s killer, said she was pleased with the sentence and that those involved had been made to take responsibility.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cranwell, of Scotland Yard, said: “Ayodeji was stabbed numerous times after being lured to a car park. The brutal way in which he was attacked is truly shocking.

“Three people have today been jailed for their involvement in events that day; Lusala is facing the next 30 years in prison for his role in taking a young man’s life.

“I would again like to thank his family, who have shown such courage during the course of the investigation.”