Mitcham man shot dead in retribution killing, Old Bailey told

Four men from south-west London are on trial charged with murdering Tyrese Miller

A young man was shot dead after a night out with friends in "swift and lethal" retribution for a stabbing, the Old Bailey heard.

Tyrese Miller, 22, was shot in the chest with a shotgun at close range on 4 April last year, the court was told.

Four men from south-west London are on trial charged with murdering Mr Miller.

It was heard that he may have been a victim of mistaken identity, who was "in the wrong place at the wrong time".

Opening the trial on Thursday, prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones KC said another man, named Prince Miller, was stabbed in south London shortly before midnight on 3 April last year.

Having survived, he did not want police involved and instead went to his friends who swiftly responded, jurors heard.

In just two-and-a-half hours, Denzel Kwateng, 21, and Armani McClymont, 21, got a gun and Kavaun Morrison, 19, and Manuel Paulo, 20, fetched a stolen car on false plates, it was alleged.

'Tragically misguided'

They travelled across south London towards the area where their friend was stabbed, it was claimed by the prosecution.

Mr Emlyn Jones KC said: "When they got to Mitcham, they drove after a young man named Tyrese Miller and, when they caught up with him, they shot and killed him. He was shot in the chest with a shotgun from close range.

"This group's revenge was swift and it was lethal. It was also tragically misguided."

Mr Emlyn Jones KC said it was clear Tyrese Miller had not stabbed Prince Miller and had been enjoying a night out in a pub with friends at the time.

After the shooting, Prince Miller's girlfriend, Azariah James-Gulston, 20, from Croydon, and their friend, Ky-mani Elliott, 20, from Lewisham, helped get rid of the car, which was set alight on playing fields, prosecutors alleged.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be identified because of his age, and Cheick Cisse, 29, collected the gun but were caught by police with it in the back of an Uber, the court heard.

'Unable to establish' link

The prosecutor said there had been an "extensive investigation" and police had been "unable to establish any link" between Tyrese Miller and the stabbing of Prince Miller.

"Prince Miller never told the police who stabbed him, but of course he'd have told his mates who stabbed him before they set out to commit their act of tit-for-tat violence in revenge.

"On the other hand, it remains entirely possible that Tyrese was just tragically in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Mr Emlyn Jones KC added: "It is possible that he was shot either in a case of mistaken identity or that he was shot just because the defendants were looking to send a message by shooting any young man they happened to find in that particular part of town."

Denzel Kwateng, from New Addington, Armani McClymont, of Thornton Heath, Kavaun Morrison and Manuel Paulo, from Tooting, deny murder and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

Mr Kwateng, Ky-Mani Elliott and Ms James-Gulston deny perverting the course of justice by assisting in the destruction of the Toyota car.

Mr Cisse, from Croydon, and the 17-year-old deny possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

The trial continues.

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