Drug dealers guilty of shooting rival in daylight

The incident happened in Howard Close, Waltham Abbey, in November

Two drug dealers and a woman have been convicted after they lured a rival to a client's flat and shot at him three times.

Margit Knap asked the victim Aaron Morris to drive to her home in Howard Close in Waltham Abbey, Essex, in November.

Once Mr Morris arrived he was ambushed by Amir Mahamud and Haimdreza Nasiri and one of them shot him in the thigh as he ran to his car.

Nasiri, 30, of Holbrook Close and Mahamud, 27, of Garfield Road, both in Enfield, north London, were convicted at Basildon Crown Court of attempted murder on Monday. Knap, 41, was found guilty of assisting in the commission of an offence involving serious violence.

Nasiri and Mahamud were also found guilty of possessing a firearm.

They were remanded in custody, while Knap was released on conditional bail, ahead of their sentencing at the same court on Friday.

The trial was heard at Basildon Crown Court

The incident took place at about 15:30 GMT on 24 November.

Mr Morris drove away from the scene despite being shot, but needed urgent treatment from paramedics after crashing his car nearby.

Police said Nasiri and Mahamud had mobile phones that were used for drug dealing with dozens of messages regarding the supply of Class A and B drugs in the area.

Speaking after the verdict Det Sgt David Crane said: "Nasiri and Mahamud knew this was a possibility when they conspired to bring a firearm to the address that day, and did so anyway.

"The shooting took place on a residential street during daylight hours endangering the safety of the public."