A gunman, who tried to
kill a bitter drugs rival by chasing and blasting him in the chest on
a St. Alban's housing estate, was caged for thirty years yesterday.
Andre Ryan, 22, (pic.top) of Belmont
Court, Belmont Hill missed 24 year-old Jahan Malik with his first
shot, but was captured on CCTV firing his shotgun a second time in
front of witnesses.
His accomplice, Anthony
Ajayi, 22, (pic.mid.) of Coningsby Bank received six years for his role in the
shooting.
A series of disputes over
cannabis, money, damage to a vehicle and a nightclub confrontation
resulted in the June 5 confrontation in Praetorian Court.
Ryan was found guilty by a
Croydon Crown Court jury of attempted murder; possession of a
firearm, with intent to endanger life and possession of a police
baton and meat cleaver as offensive weapons. He admitted unlawful
possession of a .410 calibre shotgun.
Ajayi was cleared of
attempted murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm, but found
guilty of possession of a firearm, with intent to endanger life and
possession of the police baton as an offensive weapon. He had
admitted possessing the cleaver.
“We are dealing here
with a feud between rivals in the drugs trade in St. Alban's, that is
obvious,” said Judge Nicholas Ainley.
“A debt as little as
five hundred pounds seems to have been at least one of the causes of
what happened, plus a simmering background.”
Prosecutor Miss Isabel
Delamere told the court: “Two to three months before there had been
some altercation in a St. Alban's nightclub, with one looking at
another and talk of a fight.
“It is also said Mr.
Malik (pic.bottom) angered Ryan by making him wait over the supply of some
cannabis.”
Ryan previously attacked a
van Mr. Malik was travelling in with a hammer while Ajayi held the
door closed to prevent him escaping, but never paid for the damage he
caused, the jury were told.
On the morning of the
shooting Ajayi was “extremly angry and aggressive” while making
an 8am visit to the home of a friend of Mr. Malik.
This resulted in Mr. Malik
and that friend visiting Ajayi's address and banging on the front
door while only the defendant's girlfriend was inside.
“There was also a heated
argument with shouting and swearing between Mr. Malik and whoever was
down the end of the phone, either Ryan or Ajayi,” added Miss
Delamere.
“You decided to go out
for a fight with your enemy Malik and decided to do it armed with a
loaded and cocked gun,” Judge Ainley told Ryan.
“You, Ajayi had armed
yourself with a meat cleaver, a weapon that could easily have caused
death and could have maimed anyone it was used against.
“You pulled out a police
baton and Malik was there with a dog and baseball bat, but when the
CCTV was pointed out to you, you realised it was madness to carry on.
“You tried to stop Ryan,
you failed, and you Ryan shot at Malik once.
“I do not accept you
thought he had a gun and then you chased him and tried to murder him
and you fired that gun a second time.
“It is great fortune
that he survived, but he was seriously injured and these injuries
will last a very long time.
“These are offences of
the gravest seriousness,”
In the momernts before the
shooting, which took place at 10.30am, Mr. Malik had a baseball bat
in one hand and a dog on a lead in the other.
“When he was shot he had
neither and was seen to run across the car park, chased by Ryan, and
seen raising his hand in obvious surrender, posing no threat to this
defendant,” said Miss Delamere.
“That is when he was
shot at a seond time.”
Mr. Malik was rushed to
hospital by air ambulance and recovered from his injury.
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