Man Jailed For Murder Of Sylvester Akapalara

Man sentenced to thirty years for murder of Sylvester Akapalara in Peckham in 2010.

Sodiq Adeojo, 20 of Shurland Gardens, SE15 has been sentenced to thirty years in prison for the murder of 17-year-old Sylvester Akapalara in Peckham in December 2010.

Adeojo was found guilty of the murder on 9 December 2011, at the Old Bailey. He was also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

On 29 December 2010, police were called at approximately 16:30hrs to the Pelican Estate in Peckham, SE15.

Sylvester, (also known as Vesta) was found in the fourth floor stairwell at Heron House. He was suffering from gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Trident detectives investigating the murder established that Sylvester and two of his friends were meeting on the 8th floor of Heron House to exchange some cannabis worth around £10. Whilst they were there they noticed a gang of youths approaching the bottom of the tower block.

Sylvester and his friends were chased down the communal stairs of Heron House by Sodiq Adeojo. During this chase Sylvester was shot in the neck, causing him to quickly bleed to death.

Meanwhile his two friends ran for their lives, chased by the defendant and as they tried to get out of the building they were stabbed several times and attempts were made to shoot them but the gun had jammed. Both victims managed to escape with their lives, scared and alone they ran home before asking family to call the police and ambulance service.

Residents in the Heron House heard the gunshot and the commotion and called the police. Police found Sylvester on the 5th floor, but he had already died from his injuries.

Detective Inspector Matt Gosling, from Trident Gang Crime Command, said: "I am pleased with today's sentence which will see Adeojo jailed for a long time. Sylvester was brutally gunned down and murdered in the most callous way and it is only down to the fact that the gun jammed that his friends were not shot too. I hope this lengthy sentence will send out a message to anyone thinking of getting involved in gun crime to think again. You will be caught and you will be sent to prison."

(GK)