Rapper DigDat Sentenced to Life for West London Drive-By Shooting
Rapper DigDat, whose real name is Nathan Tokosi, has been handed a life sentence at the Old Bailey for his involvement in a drive-by shooting that left a fellow musician severely injured. The 26-year-old from Deptford, south-east London, was convicted of attempted murder and multiple firearms offences across two separate trials last year.
Violent Attack on Rival Artist
The court heard how Daniel Offei-Ntow, 27, who performed under the stage name Lugavelz, was shot six times in the head, mouth, and body while sitting in his car in Notting Hill during the early hours of 20 November 2023. Prosecutors described how Tokosi was one of at least two people in a stolen Audi that pulled up beside Mr Offei-Ntow's vehicle before multiple shots were fired from a rear passenger window.
Firearms officers arrived quickly at the scene to find the victim's Mitsubishi Outlander riddled with bullet holes and the interior covered in blood. Officers followed a trail of blood to discover Mr Offei-Ntow had returned to his flat where he was sitting on a sofa in shock and severely injured. The court was informed that Mr Offei-Ntow has since died, though this was deemed unconnected to the shooting with no third party involvement.
Extensive Criminal History Revealed
During sentencing proceedings, the court learned that Tokosi had accumulated eight previous convictions for 13 offences, with a history of violent behaviour dating back to childhood. At just 11 years old, he was convicted for punching a girl and assaulting a boy in separate incidents. By age 13, he had stabbed a victim in the ribcage during an altercation, resulting in a conviction for attempted murder and a sentence of seven years' youth detention plus three years on extended licence.
Judge Sarah Munro KC told the Old Bailey she was in no doubt that Tokosi represented a dangerous offender who posed a significant risk to the public. She imposed a life sentence with a minimum term of 24 years that must be served before parole consideration.
Musical Success and Troubled Lifestyle
In mitigation, defence counsel Shannon Revel described Tokosi as a "laidback" young man who became overwhelmed by his rapid rise to musical success. His single Air Force had peaked at number 20 on the UK singles chart in 2018, but his legal team argued that the "fast-paced and chaotic" lifestyle accompanying his music career had negatively impacted his judgement.
Ms Revel explained that Tokosi had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 11 and had "struggled" with his behaviour throughout his school years. She told the court that his profession as a rapper had "effectively become an existence, rather than something that he could take time off from," leaving him little opportunity for reflection.
Comprehensive Police Investigation
The prosecution presented compelling evidence linking Tokosi to the shooting. Investigators discovered DNA belonging to both Tokosi and another artist, Kamal Benjamin (also known as Wesson), in the stolen Audi used during the attack. However, further evidence including Mr Benjamin's Instagram posts from Dubai confirmed he had left the UK days before the incident.
Police dogs recovered a latex glove and a black bag containing a firearm with three rounds of ammunition near where the Audi was abandoned. Further inquiries revealed that Tokosi had borrowed a BMW to make two trips on consecutive nights from his father's home in Deptford to Notting Hill that weekend.
Prosecutor Kate Bex KC told the jury there was no "innocent explanation" for both the BMW and the Audi being in the same west London location. CCTV footage showed Tokosi conducting several reconnaissance drives around the area in the stolen Audi during the days and hours preceding the shooting.
Courtroom Drama and Official Statements
As he was sentenced, Tokosi made a phone gesture to the public gallery where weeping could be heard from family members who had come to support him. Following the verdict, Helen Shaw from the Crown Prosecution Service described the incident as "an utterly mindless attack which very nearly claimed a life."
She added: "That night, Nathan Tokosi clearly intended to kill his victim by shooting him in the head at close range. The Crown Prosecution Service was determined to ensure Tokosi was prosecuted for the full extent of his offending, and we hope today's sentence will offer some closure to the victim's family."
Detective Inspector Chris Shepherd from the Central South Borough Command Unit stated: "Tokosi's actions were premeditated, reckless and malicious. He lied at trial, maintaining that he had no involvement whatsoever in the shooting. The committed police investigation to bring Tokosi before the courts reflects our no-tolerance approach to gang violence on London's streets."
The detective inspector praised the investigation team for their work in bringing Tokosi to justice, as well as acknowledging the officers and medical staff who treated the victim after the shooting.
