A murderer who drove 50 miles with his partner and two children in the car to stab his business associate to death has been found guilty of murder.
Ben Wazabanga, 24, killed Ayowale Aladejana outside his home in Monson Road, New Cross, south London, after a falling out over money invested into a car rental business.
Southwark Crown Court heard Mr Aladejana, 26, had set up the scheme, with Wazabanga joining as an investor.
But in the weeks before his death, both Wazabanga and his partner Ronique Belfon, another investor, had struggled to get in touch with Mr Aladejana as the business failed and ran up debts.
On August 2 2025, Wazabanga armed himself with a hunting knife as he and Ms Belfon travelled from Bedford to south London to find their business associate.
The court heard the couple made the journey with two small children in the car, with the youngsters being present in the vehicle as the murder unfolded a short distance away.
On Thursday, Wazabanga was found guilty by a jury of murder and he now faces imprisonment for life when he is sentenced on July 13.
Ms Belfon, 23, was cleared of murder, after she told the trial she had no idea her partner was armed with a knife or intent on violence.
Prosecutor James Brown KC told the trial Wazabanga stabbed Mr Aladejana in the chest, during a daytime confrontation which was partially captured on a ring doorbell camera.
He fled after the stabbing before briefly returning to retrieve the mobile phone he had dropped, then leaving in the car Ms Belfon was driving.
Mr Brown told jurors Wazabanga had a “real axe to grind against Mr Aladejana”, having put up money for vehicle repairs for the A2M2 car rental business.
Messages aired at trial show the escalating efforts by Wazabanga and Ms Belfon to recoup their losses and get hold of Mr Aladejana.
Wazabanga claimed to have acted in self-defence when stabbing Mr Aladejana, but the court also heard evidence that he habitually carried a knife and had done so for around seven years.
Wazabanga and Belfon were arrested by the police around Waterloo Bridge, central London, in the evening after the stabbing.
Wazabanga has been remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing.
