EncroChat murder plot: Two life terms after Cardiff drug dispute

Frankie Sinclair arranged to buy a new Walther PPK handgun, made famous by Sean Connery in the 007 film Dr No

Two men have been jailed for life with a minimum 18 years term after plotting a revenge murder with a James Bond-style gun.

Frankie Sinclair, from Cardiff, arranged to buy a £3,000 Walther PPK handgun from "middleman" Paul Fontaine, of north London, to kill a gang rival.

They were found guilty of conspiracy to murder at the Old Bailey on 14 March.

Police uncovered the plot after gaining access to messages on the secret phone network EncroChat.

Jurors at the Old Bailey heard how Fontaine had supplied a 9mm Makarov self-loading pistol used to murder Abdullahi Mahamoud in a bagel shop in Enfield, north London, on 19 March, 2020.

Weeks later, he helped arrange to supply the new Walther PPK to Sinclair, a career criminal, to murder Keiron Hassan, and others in a rival group.

Frankie Sinclair, 34, from Cardiff, arranged to buy a £3,000 Walther PPK

Fontaine, 36, from north London, and Sinclair, 34, were found guilty of conspiracy to murder and a string of other offences.

In messages on EncroChat, Sinclair referred to the gun - made famous in the 007 film Dr No - as a "James Bond ting".

Judge John Hillen noted the plot had arisen from an ongoing dispute over who was "going to dominate the drug dealing" in Cardiff.

The judge said the pair were part of a nationwide criminal network

He said Sinclair wanted to "create a drug dealing empire" which would "bring misery" to addicts while Fontaine was more than just the armourer.

He told the defendants: "You were both part, via EncroChat, of a nationwide criminal network.

"It's plain from the verdict of the jury, based as it was from the messaging involving both of you, that you (Sinclair) intended to kill Keiron Hassan, to kill his cousin, and possibly another person would be killed."

'Unnatural and chilling'

"They were to be murdered by shooting them with a firearm or firearms with ammunition you, Paul Fontaine, were to supply for that purpose."

He described Fontaine's interest in the earlier Enfield killing as "unfeeling", "unnatural" and "chilling".

Last year, Khallid Hogan, 21, from Enfield, was found guilty of murdering Mr Mohamoud and jailed for at least 27 years.

Sinclair and Fontaine are the first to be found guilty of an EncroChat-related conspiracy to murder.

Paul Fontaine denied all the charges against him, including plotting to supply heroin and possess counterfeit currency

Previously, prosecutor Kevin Dent QC told jurors that the defendants did not "beat about the bush" in the encrypted messages.

But law enforcement agencies were later able to get hold of EncroChat data at a time the users thought nobody would ever be able to find out what they were saying.

Attack on mother's home

Mr Dent said that the murder conspiracy was in revenge for an attack on the Cardiff home of Sinclair's mother on March 3, 2020.

He told jurors: "Frankie Sinclair wanted help from Mr Fontaine supplying a firearm and ammunition so that Mr Sinclair could carry out a revenge murder for the shooting that had happened at his mother's house."

At the time, Fontaine was "low on stock of firearms" and turned to a third party, known as Chestbridge, jurors were told.

It was alleged that the Walther PPK handgun and ammunition was supplied to Sinclair for the planned revenge attack.

Chat referred to "straps" and "sweets", which was said to be slang for firearms and bullets, and "duppy", slang for ghost.

While the defendants came together over the attack in Cardiff, messaging on EncroChat also revealed they were separately involved in other crime.

Sinclair admitted being involved in the supply of cocaine and heroin, while Fontaine denied all the charges against him, including plotting to supply heroin and possess counterfeit currency.

Sinclair was accused of amassing "significant amounts of cash" from his drugs business.

Mr Dent said the defendants both used EncroChat mobile devices, which cost £1,000 per handset.