More than two years after Michael Afonso was murdered in a brutal gang attack in Thornton Heath just before Christmas 2023, a fourth man has been convicted.
Killer: Ali Abdul Basit is to be sentenced in May
Ali Abdul Basit’s manslaughter and robbery conviction was largely down to forensic evidence, which found his DNA on a cigarette stub he’d left at the scene while waiting for Afonso with his fellow gang members.
The Met describe the conviction as being due to “relentless pursuit for justice”, after Basit fled to Pakistan following the killing.
Michael Patrick Afonso Peixoto was 27 when he was killed, and left a wife and young son. He was the 11th murder victim in Croydon in 2023.
He died after being attacked and stabbed by a group of men in Mayfield Crescent at around 10.30pm on Tuesday, December 19. The suspects drove off in the car Afonso had been driving, a grey Vauxhall Grand X Elite.
The police described the attack as “brutal”.
Basit appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday, where he was convicted for his part in the killing.
Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe, who led the investigation, said: “After Michael’s violent murder, Basit immediately left the country and travelled to Dubai via Venice, then Egypt, eventually arriving in Pakistan where he remained for months.
“Basit returned to the UK after the conviction of three other men in connection with Michael’s death, possibly on the false pretence that he has got away with his actions.
Murdered: Michael Afonso
“What Basit didn’t know is that our officers had compiled an extensive amount of evidence, including phone data which linked him to the other three convicted men at the time of the assault.
“After he was arrested, our officers were able to get his DNA from an asthma inhaler at his house which matched DNA found on a cigarette butt at the scene.
“This case emphasises the Met’s persistent pursual for justice in making sure that anyone who carries out such violent actions is held accountable.”
The police investigation began within minutes of the attack on December 19, 2023, when officers located Afonso stricken on the ground on Mayfield Crescent with multiple stab wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The gang had been waiting in a white BMW for around 30 minutes before the attack. Afonso and a friend arrived at the location.
When he got out of his car, Afonso was confronted by a man holding a large knife. He was stabbed multiple times, including once in the chest, as he attempted to get back to the car. The suspects then threatened his friend with a knife and forced her out of the car, before stealing it. The car was located abandoned nearby.
During searches of the area, police found cigarette butts on the floor, near to where the BMW was parked.
Forensic analysis matched DNA from the cigarettes to three men who were later convicted for their part in Michael’s death. Zak Baako, 30, of no fixed address was found guilty of Michael’s murder at the Old Bailey and sentenced to a minimum of 28 years in prison.
John Budal, 20, of Ena Road, Thornton Heath, was found guilty of manslaughter and robbery and Omari Peat, 23, of Southampton Gardens, Mitcham, was found guilty of robbery.
Basit returned to Britain in May last year, where he was arrested and charged with murder.
Following a three-week trial, Basit, 19, of Leicester Avenue, Mitcham, was convicted of manslaughter and robbery. He will appear at the Old Bailey on May 22 for sentencing.
Read more: Croydon in 2023: London’s borough with most murder victims
Read more: Murdered man’s family in debt after £11,000 GoFundMe scam
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2026, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for an EIGHTH time in nine years, in Private Eye magazine’s annual round-up of civic cock-ups
- Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
