A man who lied to police investigating the brutal murder of a Hillingdon dad-of-three has been sentenced.

Marwais Kakar was given a six-month jail sentence, suspended for two years, after hampering detectives investigating the gunning down of Redwan El-Ghaidouni, Met Police said.

Kakar, 34, of Great Field Drive, Uxbridge, had admitted making false statements at an earlier hearing at Isleworth Crown Court and was sentenced at the same court on Monday (August 10).

Mr El-Ghaidouni, 38, was shot as he sat in the driver’s seat of his parked car on the driveway of his family home, in Vine Lane, Uxbridge, just before 7pm on February 3.

He had taken over 90 minutes to return home following work, instead of the usual 20 minutes, and police were keen to determine the cause of his delay.

Murdered: Redwan El-Ghaidouni

The Met said Kakar was identified as someone who had been in contact with the victim shortly before his murder. He was traced and interviewed by police but initially told detectives he only knew the victim by a different name and that he had been a regular customer at his taxi firm.

Over subsequent interviews he changed his story several times, police added, eventually admitting that Mr El-Ghaidouni had rented a room from him for occasional visits over the course of two months prior to his death.

It was four months before the full truth emerged, by which time any evidence the victim had rented a room from the defendant was gone, police said.

After Kakar admitted the charge on July 8, Mr El-Ghaidouni's partner Samantha Taitt said: “It is heartbreaking that people would lie to the police, especially in a murder.”

Following sentencing, investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh said: “This conviction and subsequent sentence demonstrates that we remain determined in our efforts to uncover the circumstances surrounding the death of Redwan El-Ghaidouni and anyone seeking to mislead or hinder the investigation will be held to account for their actions.”

Mr El-Ghaidouni was shot eight times through the car window after pulling into his drive, police said.

The gunman was wearing a distinctive dark hooded top, with a large motif on the front, dark bottoms, dark gloves and dark shoes or trainers.

He ran off through an alleyway that leads to Saunders Road, and turned the corner where he was caught on one CCTV camera before running in the direction of Dowding Road.

Police continue to investigate.