Two further men have been jailed for the murder of 16-year-old Alex Smith following diligent work by Met detectives, the National Crime Agency and the Kenyan authorities.
Siyad Mohamud and Tariq Monteiro were arrested and returned to the UK from Kenya in January 2022.
David Hucker, Regional Head of International Operations at the NCA, said: “Our international team worked alongside authorities in Kenya to successfully locate and arrest these two men.
“We will continue to gather intelligence, co-ordinate operational activity and use our specialist capabilities to pursue those who flee overseas to evade justice.
Detective Sergeant Martin Slattery, Specialist Crime, said: “The pair had left London days after the murder in a bid to evade justice, but thanks to the diligence of detectives from the Metropolitan Police they were identified and, working alongside the National Crime Agency with the assistance of the Kenyan Transnational Organized Crime Unit, they were traced to Nairobi, Kenya and returned to the UK to be brought before the courts.
“I want to thank Alex’s family for their patience as well as acknowledging the commitment of my colleagues in the Met and our partners in bringing these men to justice. I truly hope that these further convictions will enable Alex’s family and friends to draw some comfort from knowing that these men, responsible for killing Alex, will spend a considerable period of time in prison.
“Neither Mohamud nor Monteiro have shown any remorse throughout the trial and have offered no explanation as to why they committed such a heinous act.
“This investigation reinforces the Metropolitan Police’s commitment and determination to bring those responsible for serious violence on the streets of London to justice, no matter where they run to and hide.”
Siyad Mohamud, 24, (26.11.98) of Barker Drive, Camden and Tariq Monteiro, 23 (27.02.00) of Conway Mews, Fitzrovia, were charged in January 2022 after being arrested in Kenya and returned to the UK. Both were found guilty of the murder of Alex Smith at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 10 May.
At the same court on Friday, 12 May, Tariq Monteiro was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 24 years. Siyad Mohamud was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 23 years
Previously Abdirahman Ibrahim, now 22, (23.12.00) of Pratt Street, NW1, was found guilty of murder and assisting an offender following a retrial at Inner London Crown Court on 29 March 2021. He was sentenced to life imprisonment to serve a minimum of 18 years.
Prior to that Arif Biomy, now 22, (06.06.00) of Wickham Lane, Greenwich, was found guilty of murder and was sentenced on 12 March 2020 to life imprisonment, to serve a minimum of 21 years.
The trial heard how Alex Smith was attacked and stabbed just after 23:05hrs on 12 August 2019.
At around 2230hrs Alex was seen leaving a restaurant in Great Portland Street. At the time he was in the company of others who associated with a Camden based street gang. This group was spotted by rival gang members, which included Monteiro and Mohamud. A short time later, this small group ran to an estate on the north side of Euston Road where they took refuge for a period of time. It is believed that they had seen Mohamud and Monteiro among the rival gang members in two stolen cars before running off.
Just after 23:00hrs, the two cars pulled up in Longford Street, NW1 where a number of males, including Mohamud and Monteiro ran into a block of flats.
Alex and his friends were eventually spotted nearby and Alex was chased by three males, including Mohamud and Monteiro, into Munster Square, just north of Euston Road, where he was stabbed to death.
The attackers made off in the two cars, leaving Alex for dead. Emergency services were called, but despite the best efforts of police officers, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance, Alex was pronounced dead at the scene at 23:33hrs.
A post-mortem examination on 15 August 2019 at St Pancras Mortuary recorded that Alex had been stabbed at least twice, one of which was the fatal stab wound to his chest.