Hackney gang members convicted of Hoxton murder witness intimidation

Jailed: Leyton Orient footballer Elliot Omozusi

Three Hackney gang members have been convicted of intimidating a witness who gave evidence in the trial of the high-profile murder of 16-year-old schoolgirl Agnes Sina-Inakoju.

Jamal Francis, 21, of Naverino Road, Leyton Orient footballer Elliot Omozusi, 22, of Grays, Essex and Shane Drew, 23, of no fixed address, were convicted at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday (17 November) of witness intimidation and will be sentenced at a later date.

The court was told that at 3pm on Sunday 15 May the 18-year-old witness had a chance encounter with the defendants outside a nightclub in Liverpool. After being spotted in the queue, the witness was chased by the gang before running into police officers.

The case was transferred to the Operation Trident unit of the Metropolitan Police, which deals with gun crime specifically. Trident officers arrested six people in total, all of who appeared in court charged with witness intimidation.

Three were convicted and three were acquitted in the same court on the same day.

Detective Inspector Neil Attewell said: “I’m very pleased at today’s convictions which show the lengths Trident go to protect witnesses and prevent gang members from trying to create a wall of silence.”

The victim had provided key evidence during the trial of four men convicted of offences relating to the murder of Agnes Sina-Inakoju, of De Beauvoir Estate, N1, outside Hoxton Chicken and Pizza on 16 April of last year.

The schoolgirl was shot with a sub-machine gun at the takeaway by two men riding bicycles along Hoxton Street.

It is believed that she was the innocent victim of a rivalry between two gangs and that the two targets were in the takeaway at the time of the incident.

Leon Dunkley and Mohammed Smoured, both 22, were found guilty of her murder at the Old Bailey. They were jailed for life with a recommendation they serve a minimum of 32 years.

Omozusi was named player of the year at Leyton Orient in 2010.