UK drill rapper Kay-O has been sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 37 years.
The sentencing follows his involvement in the gang-related murder of 25-year-old Kacey Boothe in August 2022.
Three other individuals — Ka'mani Brightly-Donaldson, 25, Joao Pateco-Te, 28, and Jeffrey Gyimah, 23 — were also convicted and received life sentences with minimum terms ranging from 35 to 38 years. Additionally, a fifth defendant, Roody Thomas, was sentenced to five years after confessing to the possession of a firearm. All sentences were delivered at London's Old Bailey on Tuesday, January 14.
The murder occurred at a community center in East London during a birthday party for the child of Boothe's friend, Khalid Samater, on August 13, 2022. Prosecutors argued that the killing was a retaliatory act tied to ongoing conflicts between two rival gangs, the London Fields gang and the E9'ers gang.
Following the incident, Kay-O released the song and music video "Laughing Stock," which prosecutors claimed contained references to the murder.
The court also heard that Kacey's older brother, Kyle Boothe, had previously died in a similar act of gang-related violence in August 2020. Judge Lynn Tayton QC described the murder as a "planned revenge attack arising out of gang rivalry in the context of an ongoing pattern of serious tit-for-tat violence."
UPDATE ON THE 98s TRIAL:
— TMC Music Connoisseur 🇯🇲 6 WEEKS OUT NOW🎥 (@MusicConnoisseu) January 14, 2025
98s RAPPERS KAY-O, HITMAN & TWO OTHER MEN HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TODAY FOR THE MURDER OF KACEY BOOTHE 🚨
(KO) Kammar Henry-Richards and Pateco-Te were both ordered to serve a minimum 37 years in prison, Brightly-Donaldson received a minimum term of 38... https://t.co/atDy83pM0J pic.twitter.com/e2z8QvdbMe
In addition to the murder charges, the defendants were found guilty of conspiring to commit murder, which included the shooting of Abdi-Rahman Jeylaani in August 2022.
Judge Tayton emphasized the collective responsibility of all involved. "Having considered your individual cases, I am of the view that there is no sensible basis upon which to differentiate between you in terms of the roles you played in the murder or the conspiracy to murder," she said. "Although none of you actually carried out the shootings, you all played significant roles in facilitating those offenses, and I cannot identify any of you as playing a substantially greater part than others."
Originally published on Enstarz
