Rapper who posted himself partying with 50 Cent in Dubai days before a drive-by shooting is found guilty of attempted murder
A rapper known as DigDat has been found guilty of attempted murder over a drive-by shooting that happened after he shared posts of himself partying with 50 Cent in Dubai.
Nathan Tokosi had taken to social media just days before Daniel Offei-Ntow, 27, was gunned down and severely injured by as he sat in his car in Notting Hill, west London, early on November 20, 2023.
Sobbing could be heard from the public gallery as an Old Bailey jury unanimously found Tokosi, 25, of Deptford, south-east London, guilty of attempted murder, and possessing a self-loading pistol and ammunition, both with intent to endanger life.
He was also found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm and ammunition.
Tokosi, whose single Air Force peaked at number 20 on the UK singles chart, showed no reaction as the verdicts were returned.
Opening the trial in February, prosecutor Kate Bex KC said the defendant was one of at least two people in a stolen Audi which pulled up beside Mr Offei-Ntow's Mitsubishi.
At least six shots were fired from a rear passenger window, hitting Mr Offei-Ntow in the head, mouth and body, and he was 'lucky not to die', Ms Bex said.
Firearms officers arrived quickly and found the victim's Mitsubishi Outlander riddled with bullet holes and the interior covered in blood.
Rapper Nathan Tokosi, also known as DigDat, has been found guilty of attempted murder over a drive-by shooting
DigDat, performing at Wireless Festival in London on September 12, 2021
Officers followed a trail of blood and found Mr Offei-Ntow had returned to his flat and was sitting on a sofa 'in shock and severely injured', the court was told.
Police dogs recovered a latex glove and a black bag containing a firearm and three rounds of ammunition near to where the Audi was abandoned.
Further inquiries allegedly revealed that Tokosi had borrowed a BMW to make two trips on consecutive nights from his father's home in Deptford, south-east London, to Notting Hill that weekend, the jury heard.
Investigators found DNA allegedly belonging to artist Kamal Benjamin, aka Wesson, and Tokosi, in a stolen Audi used in the shooting.
Ms Bex said police made inquiries about Mr Benjamin's whereabouts at the time of the shooting and established he had been released from prison on licence.
On November 3, 2023, he was arrested for having drugs at Victoria train station and released under investigation.
As a result, his licence was revoked and he was recalled to prison, but by then he had already left the UK, jurors were told.
Mr Benjamin, from Victoria, central London, posted a video on Instagram of Lil Durk, who had performed in Dubai four days before the shooting.
Another post the following month showed him in a nightclub with rapper 50 Cent, who had performed in Dubai on December 21 2023.
Ms Bex said: 'Kamal Benjamin performs music under the name of Wesson and messages between Mr Tokosi and Mr Benjamin were recovered on both Snapchat and Instagram.
Tokosi, pictured, whose single Air Force peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, is on trial for the attempted murder of Mr Offei-Ntow
Sobbing could be heard from the public gallery as an Old Bailey jury unanimously found Tokosi, 25, of Deptford, south-east London, guilty of attempted murder
Kamal Benjamin, aka Wesson, from Victoria, central London, posted on Instagram showing him in a nightclub with rapper 50 Cent (pictured), who had performed in Dubai on December 21, 2023
'It is clear from messages between they are very close indeed.'
On November 6, 2023, Tokosi sent Mr Benjamin a photo of them both sitting in a car - believed to be a Lamborghini - with the caption 'My N****' and a heart emoji.
Ms Bex said that either Mr Benjamin did not leave the UK on November 5 2023 - as the evidence suggested he had - or his DNA had been left in the Audi by someone with whom he had been in close contact.
She added: 'There is no doubt that this defendant Nathan Tokosi and Mr Benjamin not only know each other but are in fact very good friends. The messages exchanged between them make that clear.'
Tokosi, from Deptford, denied attempted murder, causing grievous harm with intent, and possessing a self-loading pistol and ammunition on November 20, 2023.
He also denied being in possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition on the date of his arrest on February 16, 2024.
Sentencing was adjourned to a date yet to be fixed.
