Man shot cousin dead and tried to kill brother after row at wake, court hears

A man shot his cousin dead and tried to kill his brother after a row at a wake, a court heard.

Jahmel Joseph, 29, allegedly shot his cousin, Jordan Rodney, in the eye before blasting Omar Joseph, his brother, in the head and hand.

Mr Rodney, 30, was alive when he was rushed to hospital but died the following day, the court heard.

Omar sustained injuries to his eye and a broken hand, before surgeons removed a shotgun pellet from his hand, jurors were told.

It followed an earlier argument at a family gathering for a dead relative in Hammersmith, west London, on 11 June, 2025, the court heard.

A doorbell camera near to the address of the wake captured the alleged attacker arriving on a motorbike at around 11.15pm.

It then captured the sound of two shots being fired before the motorcyclist got back on the vehicle and rode away, jurors at the Old Bailey trial were told.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett KC, opening the trial on Monday, told jurors: "Jordan Rodney had been shot in the eye at close range."

He added: "The defendant's brother Omar Joseph was also shot in the head, but after hearing the gun being fired, Omar instinctively turned his head and put his hand up to protect his face."

Jurors heard the defendant and Mr Rodney had been arguing earlier in the night outside the wake, in Claxton Grove.

Mr Aylett said: "A number of people commented on the off-hand behaviour of the defendant."

He added: "The whole occasion was very emotional and a number of people were upset."

The trial heard part of the conversation between Joseph and Mr Rodney was recorded by a nearby doorbell camera.

Mr Aylett read out a transcript of the recording in which Joseph can be heard telling Mr Rodney: "I can't lie, bro…I'm not sleeping…don't you understand."

Mr Rodney is then heard replying: "You f****** c***…how are we meant to know what's going on in your f****** head?"

A relative then told the pair to keep the noise down before suggesting Joseph goes home, the court heard.

Joseph's Mercedes is captured on CCTV heading back towards his flat, where he lived with his mother, in Ealing, west London, at around 10.55pm, jurors were told.

The same CCTV then picked up a motorcycle being driven away from the area around the defendant's flat 10 minutes later, the Old Bailey heard.

It is alleged by the prosecution that Joseph, who owned a black and grey Yamaha bike at the time of the shooting, was the motorcyclist caught on CCTV.

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In the morning Mr Rodney's mother, Joseph's aunt, called the defendant and accused him of killing her son.

Jurors were told Joseph replied: "I did not do that - I was at home sleeping."

By the time Joseph left his flat again at around 6.20am, police were searching for him, it is alleged.

After Joseph's Mercedes was spotted by police driving out of a car park in Isleworth at around 8.10am on 12 June, the defendant accelerated and a car chase ensued, the court heard.

'20 cars sustained differing levels of damage'

Mr Aylett told jurors: "In the course of the chase that followed, the defendant's car struck a number of other vehicles. In all, about 20 cars sustained differing levels of damage."

Eventually, the Mercedes collided head-on with another car and came to a stop, the trial heard.

It is alleged Joseph abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot through neighbouring gardens until he was arrested in a garden on Tolson Road, Isleworth.

Mr Aylett said police found a black bag nearby which contained a sawn-off shotgun.

He further told jurors: "A DNA profile that matches that of the defendant has been recovered from the trigger of the gun."

Joseph had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, for which he has been prescribed medication, jurors were told.

Joseph, of Ealing, west London, denies one count of murder, another of attempted murder, one count of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, one count of dangerous driving, and a fifth count of possession of a prohibited weapon - namely, a shotgun.

The trial continues.

(c) Sky News 2026: Man shot cousin dead and tried to kill brother after row at wake, court hears