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Two men jailed for at least 30 years over shotgun murder

Malique Thompson-Hill and Jermaine Paul shot Khalid Farah in November last year.

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Khalid Abdi Farah

Two young men have been jailed for at least 30 years for the execution-style shooting a “kind and lovable soul”.

Khalid Farah, 26, was blasted with a shotgun at close range as he sat in a hire car in the early hours of November 11 last year.

He was outside a parade of shops in Lady Margaret Road in Southall, west London, when drug dealer Malique Thompson-Hill, 22, and Jermaine Paul, 23, pulled up in a stolen Volkswagen Tiguan with false number plates.

One of the killers, wearing a hood, got out and shot Mr Farah through the car window at point blank range.

Khalid Abdi Farah death
Malique Thompson-Hill was one of two men found guilty of murder (Met Police/PA)

The victim’s passenger fled the scene on foot, even though he was not the intended target, the court heard.

The gunman then fired a second shot at Mr Farah’s chest before speeding off in the Tiguan.

Mr Farah suffered massive blood loss and died two hours later in hospital.

Later that day, Joshua Folorunso helped to burn out the abandoned getaway car.

Following an Old Bailey trial, Thompson-Hill, of Southall, and Paul, of West Drayton, were found guilty of murder.

The court heard both men had previous convictions for drugs offences and possessing knives.

Judge Sarah Munro QC sentenced them to life with a minimum term of 30 years.

Jermaine Paul
Jermaine Paul was also convicted (Met Police/PA)

She told them: “Whilst there must be a reason why Khalid Farah was targeted and while I strongly suspect a drugs background in this case, this is no mitigation.

“The only mitigation is your relative youth and immaturity.

“It goes without saying that things must have gone very wrong in your childhood and adolescence for you to end up in the dock of the Old Bailey facing decades in prison.”

Mr Farah’s sister Hamda Farah said in a victim impact statement: “Khalid was such an amazing son, brother and nephew.

“He was a kind and lovable soul that made an impression with everyone he would meet. He would always be there for his family, financially, emotionally and physically, especially to our mother.

“He was a hard-working, educated and determined young man that had his whole life ahead of him and never relied on handouts.

“We feel a piece of all of us is gone forever, especially for his twin brother whose life was integral to Khalid’s from the very beginning and for my mother who has lost her child.

“We are left lonely and isolated, aware other members of the Somali community with whom we are so integral have jumped to their own conclusions and suspicions, forcing us to take a step back.”

Folorunso, 27, of Loudwater, Buckinghamshire, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice and will be sentenced at a later date.

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