Man jailed for 28 years for 'execution' shooting

Gabriel Charles's actions were described as "planned and premeditated"

A man has been given a life sentence for the "execution" of a 20-year-old man near a community centre dedicated to the memory of 10-year-old knife crime victim Damilola Taylor.

Jesse Lloyd-Smith was shot in the head in an alleyway close to the Damilola Taylor Centre in Peckham, south-east London, on 10 July 2024. The shooting happened yards from Mr Lloyd-Smith's home and he was found by his mother.

After the shooting, Gabriel Charles, 20, of Southwark, fled the country. He was convicted of murder by an Old Bailey jury on 24 July.

At the same court, he was told he must spend a minimum of 28 years in prison. Five other defendants were sentenced for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Jesse Lloyd-Smith, 20, died in hospital the day after he was shot

Sentencing Charles, Judge Patrick Field KC said: "Jesse's killing was not a spontaneous act. It was an execution, a planned and premeditated murder.

"That planning involved obtaining a stolen vehicle, false number-plates to disguise its identity, obtaining a firearm and ammunition and carrying out surveillance to identify Jesse's whereabouts. I am satisfied you, Gabriel Charles, carried out this surveillance."

He said he could not be sure if Charles had been the gunman or the getaway driver, but it "may not matter" as both had intended to kill Mr Lloyd-Smith.

Judge Field paid tribute to the remarkable "fortitude and quiet dignity" displayed by the victim's family in court.

He added: "This was in marked contrast to the quite frankly appalling behaviour witnessed in the dock during the trial, which was nothing short of ignorant, unfeeling and disrespectful.

"That Jesse's family had to be subjected to this behaviour is shameful."

There were shouts of anger from the public gallery as the defendants were sent down.

(Left to right) Ben Nguyen, Kywan JN Pierre, Enver Francis and Abdoul Guene were jailed for perverting the course of justice

Afterwards, the victim's mother, Ty Lloyd-Smith, said: "As a family we feel deeply disappointed in the overall sentencing. The guilty will feel like they have a victory, and this reflects some of the failings we have in the UK judicial system.

"The loss of a vibrant young man, filled with potential and dreams, serves as a heart-breaking reminder of the fragility of life.

"We will continue to hold Jesse in our hearts, and we will continue to celebrate his 20 years of life for the rest of our lives. Me, my daughters, our family and all our friends will uphold his legacy with purpose and conviction."

Previously, the court had heard how a silver-coloured Ford S-Max had been driven slowly towards the alleyway at about 16:50 BST.

The gunman then got out of the S-Max and ran towards the victim, firing at least five shots.

Ms Lloyd-Smith heard the noise of her son being killed.

A search of the scene led to the recovery of four spent cartridges and two unfired bullets all from a 9mm automatic pistol, jurors heard.

The five defendants sentenced for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice were:

• Enver Francis, 22, from Southwark, south London, who was said to have "taken charge" of the plot to pervert the course of justice. He was jailed for four years

• Kywan JN Pierre, 19, from Selhurst, south London, who was detained for three years

• Ben Nguyen, 20, of no fixed address, who was also convicted of assisting an offender. He received a five-year sentence

• Abdoul Guene, 19, from Peckham, was detained for two years

• A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named, was detained for two years

A further defendant, Kadjo Kadio, 21, from Dartford, who voluntarily absented himself from the trial, will be sentenced at a later date for assisting an offender and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Correction 15 October: This article's introduction originally said that Gabriel Charles shot Jesse Lloyd-Smith in the head. However as the article later made clear, the sentencing judge said he could not be sure if Charles had been the gunman or the getaway driver and so this was amended on 11 October to say that Jesse Lloyd-Smith had been shot in the head.

The article was also amended on the same day to remove an inaccurate reference to five defendants, when referring to reaction in the public gallery when they were sent down, because six individuals were sentenced on the day.

We also separately amended a line in the story referring to sentencing for Abdoul Guene and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named, who were both detained for two years rather than jailed.