Drill rappers guilty of teenage gang rival's murder
Keanu Harker, 18, was killed in a ride-by shooting in Enfield
Two drill rappers have been locked up for at least 28 years for a ride-by shooting of a teenager over a gang dispute played out on social media.
Emmanuel Popoola, 18, who was known as Constancy, shot Keanu Harker, 18, in the head and chest with a pistol after chasing him through Enfield, north London.
Mr Harker had been on a bicycle while Popoola was the pillion passenger on a high-powered electric dirt bike ridden by Teyvon Etefia, 18, known asTake Risks.
The killing came amid a background of violent incidents arising from rivalry between two Enfield gangs, the 3×3 gang and the Get Money Gang (GMG).
It was motivated by a row on Snapchat in which comments were made, through voice messages, implying that Popoola did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone, the Old Bailey heard.
Afterwards, gang members bragged about the murder in drill rap videos.
On Friday, Popoola and Etefia, both from Enfield, were jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years after being found guilty of murder and possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life.
Enfield drive-by shooting
Judge Anthony Leonard KC told them: “Keanu Harker was affiliated with the 3×3 gang, a rival gang to yours – that is not a reason he should lose his life at such a young age.
“I take into account what has been said about the influence of senior older members of the gang to younger more impressionable members of the gang.
“But in this case the decision to murder Keanu Harker was personal to you. It was your planned intention to shoot him because of what he said about you, Popoola, on a public forum.”
Fellow drill rapper Eliezer Mbaki, 25, who was known as Spider, from Tottenham, was jailed for four years and nine months for perverting the course of justice.
Previously, prosecutor Louise Oakley KC told jurors the defendants had chased Mr Harker on their e-bike on the evening of June 26 last year and Popoola had shot him when they rode alongside.
Mr Harker fell off his bicycle on to the road and, mortally injured, crawled into a front garden as the defendants fled the scene.
Alerted by the gunshots, witnesses found Mr Harker’s bicycle lying in the road covered in blood and followed a trail to the victim, who died at the scene.
Following the shooting, the defendants dumped the e-bike, discarded their clothes and Etefia got rid of a machete in a neighbouring garden.
The pair were then collected in a car driven by Mbaki and a youth recovered the e-bike.
The two killers then attempted to flee to France by train, jurors were told.
Popoola boarded a one-way Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Paris with the help of his girlfriend Anais King, 19.
Etefia booked his own ticket but was tracked by police, who boarded the train and arrested him two minutes before it was due to depart.
While Popoola remained in the French capital, police focused their attention on the suspect’s girlfriend who planned to join him and bring him nail clippers, a comb and deodorant.
Detectives received information of her Eurostar booking and devised a plan for her to lead them to Popoola with help from French police, who monitored King on her arrival at Gare du Nord.
From there, she took a taxi to Popoola’s apartment where Paris gendarmes arrested him.
Popoola was extradited from France to London and King was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Giving evidence, Popoola denied being involved in the shooting but was implicated by Etefia, who told jurors he had been on the back of his e-bike that day but he did not know he had a gun.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Harker’s mother Kristen Harker said: “Keanu did not deserve to die. He was not perfect but he was my son and he had his whole life ahead of him.”
As a vulnerable teenager, he was influenced and groomed by older individuals who “should have known better”, she said.
“Instead of being protected he was exploited. It takes a truly evil person to take someone else’s child away forever.
“My son was killed over postcodes that belong to no-one.”
She added that hearing his death had been turned into rap lyrics was “cruel, callous and deeply disrespectful”.
The victim’s father Chris Hope said: “Keanu mattered. He was loved and he should still be here.”
Addressing the defendants in court, aunt Summer Adams said: “They took a life which they had no right to do. For what? To score points for a postcode for people who don’t care about them.”
Jurors also convicted King, from Enfield, and a 17-year-old youth of perverting the course of justice.
They will be sentenced on a later date.Two drill rappers have been locked up for at least 28 years for a ride-by shooting of a teenager over a gang dispute played out on social media.
Emmanuel Popoola, 18, who was known as Constancy, shot Keanu Harker, 18, in the head and chest with a pistol after chasing him through Enfield, north London.
Mr Harker had been on a bicycle while Popoola was the pillion passenger on a high-powered electric dirt bike ridden by Teyvon Etefia, 18, known asTake Risks.
The killing came amid a background of violent incidents arising from rivalry between two Enfield gangs, the 3×3 gang and the Get Money Gang (GMG).
It was motivated by a row on Snapchat in which comments were made, through voice messages, implying that Popoola did not have the money to buy data for his mobile phone, the Old Bailey heard.
Afterwards, gang members bragged about the murder in drill rap videos.
On Friday, Popoola and Etefia, both from Enfield, were jailed for life with a minimum term of 28 years after being found guilty of murder and possessing a self-loading pistol with intent to endanger life.
Judge Anthony Leonard KC told them: “Keanu Harker was affiliated with the 3×3 gang, a rival gang to yours – that is not a reason he should lose his life at such a young age.
“I take into account what has been said about the influence of senior older members of the gang to younger more impressionable members of the gang.
“But in this case the decision to murder Keanu Harker was personal to you. It was your planned intention to shoot him because of what he said about you, Popoola, on a public forum.”
Fellow drill rapper Eliezer Mbaki, 25, who was known as Spider, from Tottenham, was jailed for four years and nine months for perverting the course of justice.
Previously, prosecutor Louise Oakley KC told jurors the defendants had chased Mr Harker on their e-bike on the evening of June 26 last year and Popoola had shot him when they rode alongside.
Mr Harker fell off his bicycle on to the road and, mortally injured, crawled into a front garden as the defendants fled the scene.
Alerted by the gunshots, witnesses found Mr Harker’s bicycle lying in the road covered in blood and followed a trail to the victim, who died at the scene.
Following the shooting, the defendants dumped the e-bike, discarded their clothes and Etefia got rid of a machete in a neighbouring garden.
The pair were then collected in a car driven by Mbaki and a youth recovered the e-bike.
The two killers then attempted to flee to France by train, jurors were told.
Popoola boarded a one-way Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Paris with the help of his girlfriend Anais King, 19.
Etefia booked his own ticket but was tracked by police, who boarded the train and arrested him two minutes before it was due to depart.
While Popoola remained in the French capital, police focused their attention on the suspect’s girlfriend who planned to join him and bring him nail clippers, a comb and deodorant.
Detectives received information of her Eurostar booking and devised a plan for her to lead them to Popoola with help from French police, who monitored King on her arrival at Gare du Nord.
From there, she took a taxi to Popoola’s apartment where Paris gendarmes arrested him.
Popoola was extradited from France to London and King was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Giving evidence, Popoola denied being involved in the shooting but was implicated by Etefia, who told jurors he had been on the back of his e-bike that day but he did not know he had a gun.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Harker’s mother Kristen Harker said: “Keanu did not deserve to die. He was not perfect but he was my son and he had his whole life ahead of him.”
As a vulnerable teenager, he was influenced and groomed by older individuals who “should have known better”, she said.
“Instead of being protected he was exploited. It takes a truly evil person to take someone else’s child away forever.
“My son was killed over postcodes that belong to no-one.”
She added that hearing his death had been turned into rap lyrics was “cruel, callous and deeply disrespectful”.
The victim’s father Chris Hope said: “Keanu mattered. He was loved and he should still be here.”
Addressing the defendants in court, aunt Summer Adams said: “They took a life which they had no right to do. For what? To score points for a postcode for people who don’t care about them.”
Jurors also convicted King, from Enfield, and a 17-year-old youth of perverting the course of justice.
They will be sentenced on a later date.