Aderahman Boumzough, 25, has been sentenced to 36 years in prison for the murder of 15-year-old Rene Graham, who was shot in a playground in Ladbroke Grove, West London. The judge described the killing as a 'premeditated public execution'.
Details of the crime
The shooting occurred on July 21, 2024, at Emslie Horniman’s Pleasance Park, where a family music festival was taking place. Police were called to the scene following reports of a shooting. CCTV footage showed Boumzough calmly approaching the children’s play area and firing a single shot at the teenager.
In addition, police found a rap video on Boumzough's mobile phone in which he appeared to reference the incident. In the video, he raps: “Don’t you hate it when your ting jams? I was prepared to take soul, but Allah had a different plan.” This line appears to refer to a second attempted shooting, where his gun jammed, and he fled.
Investigation and trial
Boumzough was found guilty of murder and attempted murder after a two-week trial. The investigation involved reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to trace his movements. Detective Chief Inspector Alison Foxwell, who led the investigation, thanked those who came forward with information, saying: “This conviction is the result of relentless work by officers who painstakingly reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage to trace the gunman’s movements before and after the shooting.”
Judge Simon James told Boumzough: “You robbed Rene’s family of seeing him grow into a man by your callous and cold-blooded conduct in gunning down and killing a defenceless teenager in what amounted to a premeditated public execution.”
Use of rap lyrics in court
The case is the latest in which drill rap lyrics and videos have been used as evidence. Campaigners such as Art Not Evidence are calling for restrictions on the use of music in court, stating: “We believe that art, and particularly rap music, should be protected as a fundamental form of freedom of expression, and should not be used to unfairly implicate individuals in criminal charges.”
