Fiancee of murder victim Dothan Gordon speaks out about her loss

Daniel Anthony Bidace will be sentenced tomorrow (Image: Archant)

The woman who survived a murder attempt by the same man who shot dead her fiancé has spoken about her loss.

Amy Ashitey, 28, a paraplegic, was shot by Daniel Bidace minutes after he executed Dothan Gordon, formerly of Kensal Green, downstairs in their home in West Ealing.

The disabled mother survived his attempts to stop her from identifying him because his gun jammed.

The couple, who have two daughters, were due to get married in Ireland two months later.

Today Bidace, from west Brompton, was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 42 years for murdering Mr Gordon.

He was also given determinate sentences of 36 years and 15 years to run concurrently for attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, respectively.

In a statement read to the court after Bidace’s conviction, Ms Ashitey, who is confined to a wheelchair after falling from a building in a failed suicide attempt, said: “This event has changed my life so dramatically, not just myself but our children and everyone close to us.

“Sonny and I would have been together 11 years. We had two beautiful girls. We were planning on getting married on 10 August 2012. We had a registry office in Ireland booked and everything was going smoothly and to plan when Sonny was murdered.

“Sonny was my main carer. He stuck by me during my 11 month stay in hospital. I was dependent on Sonny for so much. He was such a huge part of my life.

“My children have not only lost their father, they have lost everything they knew to be safe and secure.”

She added that a bullet in her boy which doctors have decided not to remove was a “constant reminder” of what happened.

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Rock, of the Trident Gang Command, headed up the murder hunt.

He said: “This was a brutal and violent attack on a father-of-three in his own home. Not only did Bidace murder Dothan he callously then sought to take the life of Dothan’s partner who, due to her disability, was unable to move from her bed and protect herself. Had the gun not jammed there is a strong possibility that there could have been multiple victims that day.

“Bidace has shown no remorse for murdering Dothan, neither has he shown any remorse for the injuries he has inflicted on Dothan’s partner. I would like to pay tribute to the victim; she has shown a tremendous amount of courage to attend court and to give evidence against Bidace to ensure that he is brought to justice.

“I hope his conviction will bring some sense of justice to the family and friends who have been devastated by Dothan’s murder.”