Rapper linked to shooting was in Dubai partying with 50 Cent, court told
Investigators found DNA allegedly belonging to artist Kamal Benjamin in a stolen Audi used in the shooting.
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A rapper was linked by DNA to a drive-by shooting in London despite evidence he had moved to Dubai where he was pictured partying in a nightclub with superstar 50 Cent, a court has heard.
Daniel Offei-Ntow, 27, was shot and severely injured as he sat in his car in Notting Hill early on November 20 2023, the Old Bailey heard.
Investigators found DNA allegedly belonging to artist Kamal Benjamin, aka Wesson, and his close friend Nathan Tokosi, aka Digdat, in a stolen Audi used in the shooting.
But further evidence, including Mr Benjamin’s Instagram posts from Dubai, suggested he had left the UK days before, jurors were told.
Tokosi, whose single Air Force peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, is on trial for the attempted murder of Mr Offei-Ntow.
Opening his trial on Wednesday, prosecutor Kate Bex KC said the 25-year-old defendant was one of at least two people in the Audi when it pulled up beside Mr Offei-Ntow’s Mitsubishi.
At least six shots were fired from a rear passenger window, hitting Mr Offei-Ntow in the head, mouth and body, and he was “lucky not to die”, Ms Bex said.
Jurors heard that firearms officers arrived quickly and found the victim’s Mitsubishi Outlander riddled with bullet holes and the interior covered in blood.
Officers followed a trail of blood and found Mr Offei-Ntow had returned to his flat and was sitting on a sofa “in shock and severely injured”, the court was told.
Police dogs recovered a latex glove and a black bag containing a firearm and three rounds of ammunition near where the Audi was abandoned.
Further inquiries allegedly revealed that Tokosi had borrowed a BMW to make two trips on consecutive nights from his father’s home in Deptford, south London, to Notting Hill that weekend.
Ms Bex said it was clear Tokosi was involved in the shooting and there was no “innocent explanation” for the BMW and the Audi being in the same west London location.
Tokosi’s DNA was allegedly found on a headrest in the Audi as well as that of Mr Benjamin.
Ms Bex said police made inquiries about Mr Benjamin’s whereabouts at the time of the shooting and established he had been released from prison on licence.
On November 3 2023, he was arrested for having drugs at Victoria train station and released under investigation.
As a result, his licence was revoked and he was recalled to prison, but by then he had already left the UK, jurors were told.
Mr Benjamin, from Victoria, central London, posted a video on Instagram of Lil Durk, who had performed in Dubai four days before the shooting.
Another post the following month showed him in a nightclub with rapper 50 Cent, who had performed in Dubai on December 21 2023.
Ms Bex said: “Kamal Benjamin performs music under the name of Wesson and messages between Mr Tokosi and Mr Benjamin were recovered on both Snapchat and Instagram.
“It is clear from messages between they are very close indeed.”
On November 6 2023, Tokosi sent Mr Benjamin a photo of them both sitting in a car – believed to be a Lamborghini – with the caption “My N****” and a heart emoji.
Ms Bex said that either Mr Benjamin did not leave the UK on November 5 2023 – as the evidence suggested he had – or his DNA had been left in the Audi by someone with whom he had been in close contact.
She added: “There is no doubt that this defendant Nathan Tokosi and Mr Benjamin not only know each other but are in fact very good friends. The messages exchanged between them make that clear.”
Tokosi, from Deptford, denies attempted murder, causing grievous harm with intent, and possessing a self-loading pistol and ammunition on November 20 2023.
He also denies being in possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition on the date of his arrest on February 16 2024.
The Old Bailey trial continues.
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