Man guilty over gang shooting of girl, aged nine

Yahoo

a day ago

A man has been found guilty over the shooting of a nine-year-old girl outside a restaurant in a long-running gang feud.
The girl was hit in the head by one of six bullets fired by a man on a passing motorbike as she sat with her family in the Evin Restaurant in Kingsland High Street, Hackney, on May 29 last year.
The young child was an innocent victim of a bloody rivalry between Turkish gangs of north London.
Three men who were sitting at a nearby table were also struck and injured, the Old Bailey was told.
On Monday, Javon Riley, 33, from Tottenham, north London, was found guilty of causing grievous harm with intent to the nine-year-old girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Riley was also found guilty of attempting to murder Mustafa Kiziltan, 35, Kenan Aydogdu, 45 and Nasser Ali, 44.
The three men were said to be affiliated with the Hackney Turks organised crime gang, who had a rivalry with the Tottenham Turks, with whom Riley had links, the court heard.
The court was told that Mr Aydogdu had been injured in a previous shooting.
The gunman has not been caught, but jurors were told Riley had played a 'key role' before, during and after the shooting.
He had carried out reconnaissance of the restaurant before the attack, scouted for potential targets and drove the gunman away in a stolen car, which was later burnt out.
The Old Bailey jury deliberated for six hours and three minutes to convict Riley by a majority of 10 to two.
Judge Mark Lucraft KC remanded Riley into custody to be sentenced on September 12.
He told him to expect a lengthy prison sentence, saying: 'You have clearly taken part in a shooting which has led to four people being injured, one of them particularly seriously.'
The nine-year-old girl spent three months in hospital and will suffer with life-long physical and cognitive problems as the bullet remains lodged in her brain.
The three male victims received gunshot wounds to the arm, leg and thigh.
In a statement, the girl's mother said: 'In a single moment, the future we had imagined for our daughter was torn away.
'She was once an energetic, adventurous child — everything that celebrated movement, energy, and life.
'Now, weakness on her left side means she can only watch from the sidelines, living with a titanium plate in her skull and a bullet still in her brain.
'As parents, we are shattered, emotionally, physically, mentally, and financially.
'Each day brings new challenges, from her slower growth on one side to the emotional and mental scars that cannot be seen.
'The world we once believed was safe for our child now feels frightening and uncertain.
'This was not just an accident — even if our daughter was not the intended target, those responsible were still attempting to take lives.
'It is brutal and inhumane.
'We live with this pain every day, knowing nothing will ever be the same for our family.'
Detective Inspector Ben Dalloway, who led the investigation, said: 'Javon Riley's actions traumatically altered the trajectory of a little girl's life. While this outcome serves as a slither of justice, the dangerous individual responsible for pulling the trigger remains on our streets.
'Those who ordered this shooting are a highly sophisticated criminal organisation. We understand that people may be worried about talking to us because of this, but it is imperative we hear from anyone who can assist this investigation.
'Justice must be secured for this little girl and her family.'
Scotland Yard has offered a reward of up to £15,000 for information that leads to the identification, arrest of and prosecution the man who fired the weapon.
During the three-week trial, Riley was repeatedly asked to identify the 'third party' who had recruited him for around £40,000.
He refused to name the man or help to identify the gunman, claiming he feared for his life at that of his family.
He had admitted carrying out reconnaissance, spotting for targets and picking up the gunman, but claimed he thought it was going to be a 'smash and grab' robbery.
He initially denied the gunman had said anything about what had happened when he picked him up.
But later he admitted the man told him: 'Shots have been fired. I need to get out of here.'
The court heard Jamaica-born Riley had a string of convictions dating back to 2008 including for possession of cannabis and cocaine, driving offences, and having an offensive weapon and a blade in his car.
In his evidence, he admitted being involved with stealing cars, drug dealing and robberies, although he said he had never been caught for those offences.
Riley's connection with the Tottenham Turks gang was revealed in covert police recordings in the months after the shooting.
He was recorded talking about a man called Izzet Eren who was shot in Moldova on July 10 last year in what was believed to be a revenge attack.