Killers of 'much-loved' minicab driver named
- Published
Two men who killed a "hardworking, much-loved" minicab driver have been named, after reporting restrictions were lifted.
Gabriel Bringye, a 37-year-old private hire cab driver, was set upon in Tottenham, north London, in February 2021.
The group of then-teenagers had booked him by chance and planned to steal his vehicle. During the attack he was stabbed and died from blood loss.
Romain Ravenor, now aged 20, of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, and David Adeyanju, 21, of Golders Green, north-west London, were both convicted of his manslaughter.
Following a trial at the Old Bailey in March 2022, they both received a sentence of 10 years detention in a young offender's institution for manslaughter and six years for conspiracy to rob, to be served concurrently.
Ravenor was sentenced to a further year after pleading guilty to assaulting a prison guard on 26 June 2021 by throwing boiling water over him.
Both men were cleared of Mr Bringye's murder.
The trial heard the killing came after a series of robberies on members of the public in January and February 2021.
Mr Bringye was described by Judge Angela Rafferty KC as a "hardworking, much-loved taxi driver" who was lured to a secluded, dark area where the defendants lay in wait.
He was stabbed in the leg and had defensive wounds to his hands as he tried to save himself.
The judge said no-one would forget the sound of Mr Bringye's voice in a 999 call he made as he lay dying.
Reporting restrictions on the names of the men were lifted following the death of a final defendant - Alhaji Sheriff - who was due to face trial in January 2025 for Mr Bringye's murder.
The Old Bailey heard that Mr Sheriff died in May this year, aged 18.
Three other defendants connected with the case were each sentenced to five years youth detention for lesser offences.
'Gabriel's Campaign'
Following the trial, Mr Bringye's family set up Gabriel's Campaign for Driver Safety calling for increased security measures for cab drivers.
The family previously described Mr Bringye as "a loving partner, loyal brother, devoted uncle and dear friend to many".
"What has been taken from us can never be returned, never be made right.
"But what we can do and must do is make sure everything that can be done, will be done to save lives like Gabriel's in future," they said.
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