‘Why didn’t they jail him before he stabbed business associate to death?’

A killer who drove 50 miles with two young children in the car to murder a business partner has been jailed for 24 years.

Victim Ayowale Aladejana, 26, owed Belgian Benjamin Wazabanga, 24, £3,000 he had invested in a car rental business.

Wazabanga’s partner Ronique Belfon, 23, drove him from Bedford to Mr Aladejana’s home in Monson Road, New Cross, south east London to confront him.

When an argument flared Wazabanga stabbed Mr Aladejana in the chest with a combat knife.

The car passed Mr Aladejana fighting for his life in his garden as Wazabanga was driven from the scene, the Old Bailey heard.

The victim’s sister desperately tried to revive her brother but Mr Aladejana had been stabbed though the heart and nothing could be done to save him,.

His partner gave birth to his daughter three days later.

Wazabanga had been given several suspended sentences for drug and knife offences in the past and the judge, Mr Recorder Martyn Levett said had he been jailed the murder may never have happened.

Jailing Wazabanga for life with a minimum of 24 years the judge added: ‘Once more the carrying of a knife and the use of it is another grim illustration of how knife crime is blighting towns and cities across the UK.’

He told Wazabanga that he carried a knife as habitually as if it were a mobile phone.

‘You may not have intended to kill Mr Aladejana, but I am sure you intended to use the knife to cause him really serious harm of which he died at the scene,’ the judge said.

The court heard Wazabanga and Belfon had provided the £3,000 and some of the vehicles for Mr Aladejana’s car hire business.

Belfon had purchased two Mercedes cars on finance which she supplied to Mr Aladejana.

Mr Aledejana was to make the finance payments and profits would be split between him and Belfon.

‘It seems clear that Mr Aledejana didn’t always keep his side of the bargain,’ said prosecutor James Brown said.

‘There were missed payments to Belfon. There was trouble.

‘That grievance between them about missed payments grew and grew.’

When customers got parking tickets, they were sent to Belfon, who then passed them on to Mr Aladejana to be paid out of customers’ deposits.

But this had not happened and Mr Aladejana was becoming ‘elusive and evasive.’

On August 2 last year the four drove to Bedford after Wazabanga had collected a black handled combat knife with a four inch blade.

The car circled the home Mr Aladejana shared with his family and partner several times before Wazabanga knocked on the door.

Mr Aladejana went back into his house to himself with a knife because he feared for his safety, but when he came out Wazabanga stabbed him in the heart.

The killing was captured on a doorbell camera and Mr Aladejana is heard saying ‘bruva why you coming my yard.’

The footage then shows Wazabanga stabbing him in the chest.

The victim can be seen to pull a knife from his clothing and chase after Wazabanga before collapsing and dying in his front garden.

Mr Brown said: ‘After the stabbing, Miss Belfon drove Wazabanga away from the scene, pausing only to allow him to run back and pick up his mobile telephone.’

Their car was identified shortly afterwards and was stopped by police on Waterloo Bridge.

Wazabanga, of Fairfax Road, Bedford denied but was convicted of murdering Mr Aladejana.

Belfon, also of Bedford, was cleared of murdering after insisting she had no idea Wazabanga was armed with a knife.

Wazabanga has six convictions for 12 offences. In 2019 he received a detention and training order of four months for affray and a bladed article.

In 2020 he was given a suspended sentence for conspiracy to supply cocaine.

A further suspended sentence of imprisonment was imposed in 2023 for affray, wounding and supplying class A drugs and a POCA offence.

In August 2023 he was sentenced to 19 months’ custody, suspended for two years, for two charges of supplying class A drugs.

Wazabanga was handed another suspended term for possession of a knife in May 2024.

In an impact statement the victim’s mother Lola Paul said: ‘My son was a quiet man, he was a kind soul he always wanted to help others.

‘He knew he owed money and he wanted to pay that money back. He was trying to do everything he could at the time to make things right.’

Mrs Paul said she had been devastated emotionally and physcally by her son’s death.

‘The killing of Ayowale has followed me everywhere – be it at work or at church.’

The mother said since the incident she suffers from migranes, nightmares and so much stress that clumps of hair fell out that she had to cut it short.’

‘My home is a constant reminder of something so senseless and tragic,’ Mrs Paul added.

Mr Aladejana’s partner Katlyn Edwards said: ‘Nothing can ever put into words the pain and devastaion his killing has caused me and my family.’

She said her partner was ‘caring, supportive and deeply loved by those who knew him.’

Ms Edwards said she had to give birth three days later without her partner and the murder had ‘robbed her daughter of a lifetime of love and guidance.’

In her impact statement Mr Aladejana’s sister Adbimpe told how she battled to save her brother outside their home.

‘All I can think of an remember is watching the life leaving my brother’s body as he died in my arms,’ she said.

She said that her brother’s eyes rolled back and she knew he was gone.

‘I will never be able to erase that memory and it will live with me for ever,’ Ms Aladejana said.