A mentally unwell man has been found guilty of shooting his cousin dead and injuring his brother at a family wake in west London. Jahmel Joseph, 29, fired a shotgun at Jordan Rodney, striking him in the eye, and also wounded his brother Omar Joseph in the head and hand during the gathering in Hammersmith on June 11, 2025.
Incident Details
The Old Bailey heard that Mr Rodney, 30, had been arguing with Joseph at the wake, with the defendant complaining about lack of sleep. A relative told them to keep quiet and advised Joseph to go home. Joseph later retrieved a shotgun from his Yamaha motorcycle and returned just before midnight, shooting Mr Rodney at close range. His brother instinctively turned his head and raised his hand to protect his face, sustaining injuries.
Aftermath and Arrest
After the shooting, Joseph drove his Mercedes to a service station in Buckinghamshire, bought a coffee, and returned home in the early hours of June 12. He had a bonfire in the garden. Later that morning, Mr Rodney's mother—Joseph's aunt—called him, accusing him of killing her son. Joseph denied it, claiming he was asleep at home. By 6:20 am, police were searching for him. His Mercedes was spotted in Isleworth, and he sped away, leading police on a chase.
Police Chase
Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC stated: "In the course of the chase, the defendant's car struck a number of other vehicles. In all, about 20 cars sustained differing levels of damage." The chase ended when Joseph's Mercedes collided head-on with another car. He abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot through gardens until arrested. Officers recovered a sawn-off shotgun with Joseph's DNA inside a black bag he had discarded during the chase.
Defense and Verdict
Joseph, diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and prescribed medication, claimed he acted under the reasonable belief that Mr Rodney would kill him due to his psychotic state. The jury rejected this explanation after nine hours of deliberation. He was found guilty of murder, attempted murder, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life, dangerous driving, and possessing a shotgun. Joseph, from Ealing, was remanded into custody for sentencing at a later date.
