Five found guilty of Bushy man's 'honeytrap' killing

Vishal Gohel, 44, was the victim of a so-called "honeytrap", St Albans Crown Court was told

Three men and two women have been found guilty of a "honeytrap" killing.

Vishal Gohel, 44, was found unresponsive in his flat in Bushey in Hertfordshire, at about 22:45 GMT on 23 January 2022 and he died at the scene.

A jury at St Albans Crown Court heard Mr Gohel had been led to believe he would be having a sexual liaison.

Two men and a woman were convicted of murder and a man and a woman were found guilty of manslaughter. They will be sentenced at a later date.

Mr Gohel was found with gaffer tape on his face at his flat on the evening of 22 January after a neighbour noticed his front door was ajar and the kitchen light was on.

The court was told the neighbour entered the flat and made the "horrifying discovery" of Mr Gohel "lifeless on the floor of the bedroom".

A post-mortem examination showed he had suffered severe blows to his head.

Police were called when a neighbour discovered Vishal Gohel's body

Mr Gohel had been in contact with Yarley Bruce-Annan on 22 January through Craig's List, a website offering goods and services.

The three female defendants left Barking in a cab arriving in Bushey at 01:00 GMT, while the three male defendants arrived on the scene at 02:25 GMT.

"It was the culmination of a plan that had been brewing throughout the day," said prosecutor Charlotte Newell KC.

Clean up

She said efforts were made to clean up the flat and an iPhone and an iWatch had been taken.

But "no attempts had been made to contact the emergency services", she said.

Tevin Leslie, 23, of Hurst Street, Brixton, London, was convicted of murder. He had previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to rob.

Sakeen Gordon, 22, of Uxbridge Road, Ealing, was convicted of murder by a 10 to one majority and conspiracy to rob.

Yarley Georgia Bruce-Annan, 22, of Harts Lane in Barking was convicted of murder after earlier admitting a charge of conspiracy to rob.

Brandon Browne, 22, of Laburnham Road, Rochester, Kent, was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.

Faith Hoppie, 22, of Blake Avenue, Barking, was found not guilty of murder, but convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.

They will be sentenced at St Albans Crown Court on 26 September.

A sixth defendant - Tiana Edwards Hancock, 20, of Fresh Wharf Road, Barking, was cleared of murder, manslaughter and conspiracy to rob.

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