Fugitive teen caught, convicted in savage killing of young father

A fourth suspect has been convicted over the brutal killing of 27-year-old Michael Patrick Afonso Peixoto in Thornton Heath, marking a significant breakthrough in a case that detectives pursued relentlessly for more than two years.

Ali Abdul Basit, 19, was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery at the Old Bailey on Friday, following a three-week trial that laid bare his role in the fatal 2023 attack.

Peixoto was stabbed multiple times on 19 December 2023 after being ambushed by a group of men in Mayfield Crescent, south London. He was pronounced dead at the scene after sustaining severe injuries.

According to investigators, Basit fled the UK immediately after the killing, travelling through Europe and the Middle East before settling in Pakistan for several months. Detectives from the Metropolitan Police Service tracked his movements and continued building evidence during his absence.

He returned to the UK in May 2025 and was arrested shortly afterwards, reportedly believing he had evaded justice.

Lead investigator Martin Thorpe said officers had assembled “extensive evidence” linking Basit to the attack, including phone records connecting him with three other convicted men at the time of the assault.

Crucially, forensic experts matched Basit’s DNA, obtained from an asthma inhaler recovered at his home to genetic material found on a cigarette butt at the crime scene, placing him directly at the location of the fatal attack.

Earlier convictions in the case saw Zak Baako sentenced to a minimum of 28 years for murder, while John Budal and Omari Peat were found guilty of manslaughter, robbery, and robbery respectively.

Police said the attackers had lain in wait for Peixoto, arriving in a white BMW and remaining in the area for about 30 minutes before launching the ambush.

He was confronted by a man armed with a large knife and stabbed repeatedly as he attempted to flee. His companion was threatened and forced out of the vehicle before it was stolen and later abandoned nearby.

Detective Inspector Thorpe described the case as a reflection of the force’s determination to ensure accountability.

“This case emphasises our persistent pursuit of justice in making sure that anyone who carries out such violent actions is held accountable,” he said.

Basit is due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on 22 May.