Roydon house party victim was executed by gunman - court

Robert Powell was shot seven times as he left a house party in Roydon near Harlow, jurors were told

A man was executed in the street by a drug dealer who shot him seven times as he left a house party, a court heard.

Robert Powell, 50, was walking with his sons in Roydon, near Harlow in Essex, when he was gunned down in June 2020.

Nana Oppong, 43, is alleged to have co-ordinated the killing by ensuring that drivers and spotters were waiting for Mr Powell outside the party.

Mr Oppong and Israar Shah, 39, who was in the area at the time, are on trial for murder at Woolwich Crown Court.

The jury was told Mr Powell suffered 15 bullet wounds - with some caused by the same bullet passing through his body - when he was shot at about 04:45 BST in Water Lane on 13 June that year.

He was seen being bundled into the backseat of a Ford Mondeo by bystanders when police arrived, prosecutor Justin Rouse KC said.

Mr Powell died in hospital the next day.

Two women who were bystanders were also injured in the alleged shooting, the jury was told, although one of the women has declined to "take any part" in the case.

Essex Police said two women were also injured after being shot during the incident in Water Lane

Mr Oppong "slipped out of the country" after the alleged killing but was later found hiding in the back of a lorry as it entered Morocco, Mr Rouse said.

He added that Mr Oppong was a "high level" drug dealer who would "use violence when necessary".

"He was the instigator, protagonist, and principal organiser of this killing," said the prosecutor.

The court was told Mr Oppong had a "grievance" with Mr Powell but a motive for his alleged killing had not been established by the prosecution.

'Terrifying spectacle'

A Ford Kuga using cloned number plates was seen to emerge from behind a Toyota Prius being driven by Mr Shah as Mr Powell left the party, the jury heard.

The court was told how it was at that moment a gunman exited the Ford, which allegedly had Mr Oppong inside, and opened fire.

"This was no spontaneous act of violence... It must have been a terrifying spectacle to witness," Mr Rouse added.

Mr Powell was walking in Water Lane when he was shot at about 04:45 BST

Mr Shah, of Kelvedon Hatch near Brentwood, Essex, was found in Spain before he was extradited to the UK to face trial.

The court heard he accepted he was at the scene but that he was there to deal drugs and claimed he was not involved in the alleged murder.

Both he and Mr Oppong, of West Road, Stratford, east London, deny murder and possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life.

Mr Oppong has also denied wounding with intent - relating to the injured bystander - and possession of a prohibited weapon.

The jury heard that others were involved in the shooting and that police were still searching for a third suspect, Temitope Adeyinka, as part of their investigation.

The trial continues.