Manchester 21-year-old’s conviction quashed after rap video evidence refuted
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Sentences of two co-appellants reduced after they were condemned by community groups as racist and unfair. An aspiring law student who addressed MPs in parliament has had his conviction for being part of a violent conspiracy quashed after new evidence showing he was wrongfully identified in a drill music video.
Ademola Adedeji, 21, from Manchester, was among 10 black teenagers found guilty of using the Telegram messaging app to plan the murder or serious harm of individuals they believed were responsible for the death of their friend John Soyoye, an aspiring rapper.
The convictions drew significant controversy across the UK, with community groups condemning the sentences as racist and unfair, arguing that the young men’s immature messages were driven by grief and wrongfully used as evidence of violent intent. Seven of the young people went on to appeal against their convictions.
The court of appeal on Wednesday ruled Adedeji’s conviction for conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent was unsafe due to new testimony from a witness. Adedeji, who was described by his youth worker as “a truly exceptional young man”, was head boy at his school and had produced a book profiling inspiring young black people in Moston. He had an unconditional offer to study law at Birmingham University, received while on bail.
The court also reduced the sentences of Raymond Savi, 21, and Omolade Okoya, 21, from eight years to four years and six months each, ruling that their original sentences were excessive. Both had been convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm with intent.
