Sabrina Moss murder: Three found guilty of shooting mother

Sabrina Moss was shot dead while out celebrating her 24th birthday

Three men have been found guilty of murdering a mother who was shot while out celebrating her 24th birthday.

Sabrina Moss was killed in Kilburn, north-west London, in August last year.

The nursery teacher and a friend were shot from near point-blank range, although they were not the intended targets, jurors were told.

Hassan Hussain, 29, from Willesden; Martell Warren, 22, of Kensal Green, and Yassin James, 20, from Wembley, were convicted at the Old Bailey.

Miss Moss and Sabrina Gachette, 25, were outside a takeaway shop, the Woody Grill, with other people when they were shot by two hooded men armed with a sub-machine gun and a shotgun.

Not intended targets

Miss Moss was shot in the heart and died in hospital. Miss Gachette was hit in the back by more than 50 pellets, but survived.

Drug dealers Hussain, James and Warren were also convicted of the attempted murder of Miss Gachette.

Sabrina Gachette was shot in the back

They were also found guilty of two further counts of attempted murder - of Mahad Ahmed and Edson Da'Silva, possession of a Mac 10 machine gun with intent to endanger life, and possession of a shotgun with intent to endanger life.

The court heard the shot women were not the intended targets but the gunmen wanted to hit members of the south Kilburn Gang who were also present outside the shop.

'Senseless and callous'

However, Hussain discharged the Mac 10 "spray and pray" machine gun six times anyway and James fired both barrels of the shotgun, at near point-blank range, before fleeing in a car driven by Warren.

During the court case security had to be increased when Warren gave evidence after he implicated Hussain and James in the shooting but denied his own involvement, saying he was just there to do a drug deal.

In return, Hussain and James said Warren was a "dirty lying scumbag" who had only named them to protect the real killers.

A fourth defendant - Simon Baptiste, 29, from Cricklewood - was convicted of conspiracy to cause grievous bodily harm, between 22 August and 25 August last year.

All three men were convicted of murdering Sabrina Moss

Prosecutor Mark Heywood QC said the attack took place against a "backdrop of violent tension and animosity" between the groups of young men.

He said: "The reason for that is not clear but it was serious."

All the defendants are due to be sentenced on 12 September.

On the verdicts, Miss Gachette said: "Justice has not only been served for us as victims, it has been done for the community - there are violent people off the streets."

In a statement following the convictions, Miss Moss's family said: "She was a beautiful, loving and caring person.

"As much as we are pleased that these individuals will be behind bars for a long time, it doesn't alter the fact that Sabrina is gone and her son has been left without a mother.

"Sabrina was a completely innocent victim of a totally senseless and callous crime and even though this chapter is now closing in our lives, we will never be the same and our lives have been forever been affected."