Man jailed for shooting dead cousin at family wake

A man has been jailed for life after shooting his cousin dead and injuring his brother at a family wake in west London.

Jahmel Joseph, 29 and from Ealing, killed Jordan Rodney by shooting him at close range with a shotgun. He also shot Omar Joseph in the head and hand during the incident in Hammersmith on 11 June 2025.

At the Old Bailey, Joseph, who has schizophrenia, said he believed Rodney was going to kill him, however Judge Nigel Lickley said there had been some "clear thinking" in his behaviour.

He was handed a minimum term of 39 years after a jury found him guilty of murder, attempted murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, dangerous driving and possessing a shotgun.

Sentencing him, Judge Lickley said: "You have committed crimes of the utmost brutality.

"You have murdered Jordan Rodney, a person who showed you support and kindness, by shooting him in the face at point-blank range."

He added: "It is only by very good fortune that this is not a case of double murder."

Earlier, the court heard Rodney, 30, had been arguing with Joseph at the wake before a relative told them to keep the noise down and instructed Joseph to go home.

Shortly before midnight, Joseph returned on a Yamaha motorcycle armed with a shotgun to carry out the attack.

The day after the shooting, Joseph put "more lives at risk" as he tried to evade police, including mounting a pavement before crashing his car into another vehicle.

Officers recovered a sawn-off shotgun containing the defendant's DNA which had been discarded in a black bag during the police chase, which ended on foot in neighbouring gardens.

Judge Lickley said he was satisfied Joseph knew that if he did not take his medication, his paranoia would return, and concluded there was only a limited link between his mental illness and his actions.

In a victim impact statement, Rodney's mother, Ivinia Rodney, described her son as "strong and ambitious" and a man who loved his family.

In a statement directed at Joseph and read out in court on her behalf, she added: "We as a family will never understand why you committed such an evil and horrific crime against our son, Jo Jo.

"You made sure you took that love away from us and, to make that worse, Mr Joseph, you committed your evil crime at my niece's wake and have shown no empathy."

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