Man guilty of manslaughter after drive-by shooting

Robert Powell died in hospital after being shot in Essex in June 2020

A man who acted as lookout during the fatal shooting of a music manager has been found guilty of manslaughter.

Robert Powell, 50, whose clients included rapper Dutchavelli, was gunned down as he left a house party in Roydon, near Harlow, Essex, in June 2020.

Prosecutors at Woolwich Crown Court said Temitope Adeyinka, 41, waited outside the property to ensure the killing went smoothly.

He becomes the third person to be convicted following Mr Powell's death, with ringleader Nana Oppong and fellow spotter Israar Shah given life sentences in May 2024.

Mr Powell was shot seven times as he left the party at Hills House, Water Lane, with his two sons at 04:45 BST on 13 June 2024 - and died in hospital the next day.

The bullets were fired from a 9mm Luger semi-automatic pistol and one knocked the gold grill from his mouth.

Two women were also struck by the hail of bullets sprayed by the gunman, who police have not yet identified.

"It must have been a terrifying spectacle to witness," said prosecutor Justin Rouse KC.

Unknown grievance

The hit squad was led by high-level drug dealer Oppong, 45, who had an unknown "grievance" with Mr Powell, the jury was told.

Oppong, who went by the name Enz, had stalked the victim in the days prior to the killing, including lurking outside another party in London, Mr Rouse said.

"Oblivious to the danger he was in", Mr Powell then posted details of the party in Roydon on his social media, the prosecutor added.

In response, Oppong employed Adeyinka, also known as Limo, and 40-year-old Shah to wait outside the gathering and alert him when Mr Powell was visible.

As Mr Powell walked along the pavement, a gunman got out of Oppong's car and executed him, the court heard.

The men then fled in their cars, along with another vehicle detectives have been unable to trace.

Oppong was later caught entering Morocco hiding in the back of a lorry in September 2022.

Shah, who was described as a "useful idiot" by the judge, was arrested at a hotel in Malaga, Spain, three months after.

They were jailed for life with minimum terms of 38 years and 26 years respectively in May 2024.

Temitope Adeyinka was convicted of manslaughter by a jury

Adeyinka was caught in Spain in May 2024 and extradited to the UK, where police arrested him at London Heathrow Airport.

He admitted being at the scene of the killing but claimed he was there to sell drugs, his trial heard.

The jury found him not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter. He was also found not guilty of possession of a firearm.