Brutal Croydon Stabbing: Victim Slashed Five Times in Drug Deal Ambush
Michael Patrick Afonso Peixoto was viciously stabbed five times in Thornton Heath, Croydon, including a fatal wound to the heart, during a gang ambush aimed at robbing him of drugs. One attacker fled the country straight after the savage assault.
Fugitive Flees UK to Pakistan, Caught After Two Years on the Run
Ali Abdul Basit, 19, vanished immediately after the stabbing, jetting from the UK to Dubai, Venice, Egypt, then finally hiding out for months in Pakistan. After two years on the run, he returned to the UK in May 2025 where police promptly arrested him.
Following a tense three-week trial, Basit was convicted of manslaughter and robbery, with sentencing set for May 22.
DNA and Phone Data Nail Basit
Basit’s downfall came thanks to damning phone data linking him to co-conspirators during the attack. Crucially, DNA from a cigarette butt at the scene matched DNA on an asthma inhaler found at his home.
Detective Inspector Martin Thorpe said, “Basit thought he’d escaped justice by fleeing the country. Our team gathered enough evidence to catch him. This shows the Met’s relentless pursuit of those responsible for brutal crimes.”
Gang Already Behind Bars for Murder and Robbery
Basit’s three accomplices were locked up in 2024 after DNA evidence tied them to cigarette butts found near their car at the scene. Zak Baako, 29, was convicted of murder; John Budal, 20, received manslaughter and robbery convictions; Omari Peat was found guilty of robbery.
The gang lured Peixoto under false pretences of a drug deal before ambushing and stabbing him multiple times in a shocking driveway attack that ended his life.
