An Islington man was shot dead in revenge for the robbery of a Rolex watch after being in the “wrong place at the wrong time”, a court has heard.

Imani Allaway-Muir was found mortally injured on the afternoon of July 4, 2020, in a Barnsbury children’s play area just metres from an alleyway where he was attacked.

The 22-year-old was shot four times, and died from his injuries 30 minutes later.

Jurors at the Old Bailey were told the shooting - which happened at a residential cul-de-sac in Roman Way - was witnessed by several people, one of whom identified the gunman as defendant Nathaniel Reece.

Prosecutor Jacob Hallam QC said: “It is the prosecution’s case that this killing of Mr Allaway-Muir was and is murder and was a revenge attack, mounted in retaliation for the robbery of the first defendant, Demetrios Kyriacou.

“In that robbery property was taken from Mr Kyriacou – for example his telephones and his Rolex watch.”

Reece, 41, of Southgate Road in De Beauvoir, and 35-year-old Kyriacou, of Liverpool Road in Barnsbury, have denied murder.

Jurors heard how Kyriacou reportedly went to his flat on the Six Acres Estate in Finsbury Park after the robbery where enquiries began to find his stolen mobile phone.

It was hoped that tracking down the stolen phone would help find the rest of his property, and uncover the culprits.

Upon locating the phone, Kyriacou and Reece allegedly met associate Hassan Hamza, who gestured down an alleyway where a group of people had gathered.

Reece shot Mr Allaway-Muir seconds later, the court heard.

Mr Hallam told jurors the victim had only arrived at the location of the stolen property moments before Kyriacou and Reece.

He said: "When Mr Reece opened fire, it would appear that Imani was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"While it was Mr Reece who discharged the firearm and took the life of Imani from him, the prosecution say that [the other defendants] are in their separate ways jointly responsible for the murder, because they knowingly assisted and encouraged him."

Six additional defendants have denied murder: Hassan Hamza, 28, of Arundel Square in Barnsbury; 35-year-old Matthew Hardy, of the Six Acres Estate in Finsbury Park; William Hardy, 71, of Islington and 32-year-old Dean Walker, of Shearling Way in the Cally.

James Nicholson, 36, and 40-year-old Darren Dredge - both of no fixed address - also deny murder.

The trial continues.