logo
Mother saw gunman shoot son near Damilola Taylor centre, court told

Mother saw gunman shoot son near Damilola Taylor centre, court told

Leader Live08-05-2025
Jesse Lloyd-Smith, 20, was fatally injured close to the Damilola Taylor centre in Peckham, south-east London, the Old Bailey was told on Thursday.
At around 4.50pm last July 10, a silver-coloured Ford S-Max car containing the alleged killers drove slowly towards the alleyway, jurors heard.
Prosecutor James Dawes KC said: 'The S-Max passed the Damilola Taylor centre, turned the corner and stopped.
'One of the two men exited the S-Max. He was holding a gun, and he ran towards Jesse firing the gun as he went. There were at least five shots.
'Some of the shots hit Jesse knocking him to the ground. The gunman ran back to the car which drove away.'
The victim's mother Ty Lloyd-Smith was in her flat only yards away and heard the noise of shots, the court was told.
Mr Dawes said: 'She saw the shooter but what she could not see was her son because he was in the alleyway. She feared the worst and she shouted out Jesse's name.'
She ran downstairs to find her son lying on the ground, shot in the head, jurors heard.
His friend Jamie Burgess was frantically trying to help him and an ambulance was called.
Mr Burgess allegedly told police a person called 'S' was involved.
The victim was taken to hospital for emergency surgery but he died the next day.
A search of the scene with dogs, led to the recovery of four spent cartridges and two unfired bullets all from a 9mm automatic pistol, the court was told.
The shooting was partly captured on CCTV footage although it was from some distance away, Mr Dawes said.
The occupants of the S-Max car were 18-year-old Kywan JN Pierre and the alleged gunman, 19-year-old Gabriel Charles, both of whom fled the country after the shooting, the court was told.
JN Pierre, from Selhurst, south London, and Charles, from Southwark, south London, are on trial accused of murder.
Mr Dawes said a key issue for jurors would be whether the pair were in the car, as each had denied they were there.
He said: 'It is the prosecution's case that the first two defendants acted together as part of a joint plan or agreement to shoot Jesse.
'It is the Crown's case that both occupants of the car intended that Jesse would be shot and consequently killed or at least caused really serious harm.'
Charles and JN Pierre are also charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice with Ben Nguyen, 20, of no fixed address, Enver Francis, 22, from Southwark, Abdoul Guene, 18, from Peckham, Kadjo Kadio, 20, from Dartford, and a 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified.
It is alleged the group had plotted to take away the Ford S-Max used in the fatal shooting and destroy it in a fire two days later.
Kadio and Nguyen are accused of assisting an offender by making and receiving transfers of funds 'with intent to impede the apprehension or prosecution' of Charles.
Kadio is charged with a similar offence relating to JN Pierre.
The defendants have denied all the charges against them as the trial continues.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent ordered to stand trial facing eight charges of sexual assault
Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent ordered to stand trial facing eight charges of sexual assault

ITV News

time25 minutes ago

  • ITV News

Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent ordered to stand trial facing eight charges of sexual assault

Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent has been ordered to stand trial in the Crown Court, facing eight charges of sexual assault. Appearing in the dock of Armagh Magistrates Court, sitting in Newry, the 31-year-old confirmed he was aware of the charges against him, all of them alleged to have been committed 'in the United States of America,' on 17 November last year. Nugent, from the Cullyhanna Road in Newtownhamilton, faces seven charges of sexual assault and one of sexual assault involving penetration, alleged to have been committed against a single complainant. It is understood to be the Crown case that the offences were committed in America, when the Armagh GAA team travelled to Miami in Florida to celebrate the team's All-Ireland win - their first All-Ireland title in 22 years after they clinched victory over Galway at Croke Park in July. During a brief preliminary enquiry court on Tuesday, the legal step necessary for any case to be returned to the Crown Court, a prosecuting lawyer submitted there is a prima facie case against Nugent. Nugent's defence solicitor Patrick Higgins conceded the point but declared that Nugent 'strenuously denies the allegations.' The court clerk told Nugent he had the right to comment on the charges or to call evidence on his own behalf, but he declined. Returning the case to Newry Crown Court, District Judge Anne Marshall freed Nugent on £500 bail and ordered him to appear for his arraignment on October 2. Applying for legal aid to be extended in allow a senior barrister to be instructed, Mr Higgins told the judge that was on the basis that one of the charges carried a potential sentence of life imprisonment. He also contended that 'all of the people involved in this are in the public eye' and that if Nugent is convicted, there is not only a risk to his reputation 'but also a risk to his liberty and livelihood.' Judge Marshall told the solicitor she would rule on his application later on Tuesday.

Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown

North Wales Chronicle

time6 hours ago

  • North Wales Chronicle

Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown

The Home Office's proposals come after Marks & Spencer has refused to say if it paid a ransom to hackers in a major attack earlier this year. New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers. The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups. Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said. Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom. The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million. Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information. M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce. He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.' The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'. 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.' Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.' The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.

Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown

Leader Live

time7 hours ago

  • Leader Live

Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown

The Home Office's proposals come after Marks & Spencer has refused to say if it paid a ransom to hackers in a major attack earlier this year. New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers. The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups. Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said. Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom. The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million. Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information. M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce. He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.' The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'. 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.' Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.' The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store