Three men have been sentenced for the murder of a teenager shot in the head.
Taylor Cox, 19, of Barnet, died after being shot in an alleyway in Hornsey Rise Gardens, New Orleans Walk, on June 8, 2021.
Jaden McGibbon, 22, of Warltersville Road, Hornsey, Robel Michael, 22, of no fixed address, and Sichem Mangituka-Mpelo, 22, of Holloway, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday (December 15) for sentencing.
They had been found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey on October 20.
All were given life sentences, with McGibbon to serve a minimum term of 26 years, Michael at least 27 years and Mangituka-Mpelo a minimum of 26 years.
McGibbon's girlfriend, Dunia Oukili, 21, of Harrington Square, Camden, was jailed for two years for perverting the course of justice.
As part of a victim impact statement read in court, Taylor’s mother said: “I think about Taylor daily. Every mealtime there is one person missing at our dinner table, there is an empty bed in our home.
“Having Taylor taken from us has destroyed our whole family. We miss him dearly, it has broken all our hearts.”
Emergency services were called at 4.24pm on June 8, 2021 to reports of a shooting in Hornsey Rise Gardens.
Police and paramedics found 19-year-old Taylor suffering gunshot injuries. He was taken to hospital where he later died.
A post-mortem examination on June 11, 2021 found he died as a result of gunshot wound to the head.
After shooting Taylor, the suspects fled. McGibbon's girlfriend, Oukili, booked a hotel room and bought a mobile phone in an attempt to help him evade arrest.
Officers would later find spent ammunition cartridge cases of the same calibre as those used in the shooting in Oukili’s handbag.
During the investigation, detectives trawled through hours of CCTV footage and found images of McGibbon riding a bicycle shortly before police were called about the shooting.
Just before the murder he covered his face with a balaclava, police claimed.
Despite his efforts to avoid capture, McGibbon was arrested on June 12, 2021 and was charged with murder the following day.
Michael was arrested on August 4, 2021 and was subsequently charged with murder.
Mangituka-Mpelo was arrested on August 23, 2021 and subsequently charged with murder.
Det Chf Insp Linda Bradley, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command, said: “This was a targeted attack on a young man who should have had the rest of his life ahead of him.
“It saddens me to see so many young lives cut short by violence on the streets of our capital. The loss of freedom the defendants are about to face, serve as a warning to any others who think that conflict of any kind can be resolved with weapons and violence.
“My thoughts are with Taylor’s family. While nothing can bring him back, I hope that today’s sentencing brings them a degree of comfort.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here