Five gang members jailed for murder of teenager in Wood Green

Nineteen-year-old Kamali Gabbidon-Lynck was stabbed to death by the attackers after trying to save his friend in February last year, who had been stabbed eight times and shot by the group.

Tyrell Graham, 18 of St Helens Place, Leyton and Sheareem Cookhorn, 21, of Park Lane, Tottenham were found guilty of Mr Gabbidon-Lynck's murder and the attempted murder of a second 20-year-old man following a trial at the Old Bailey last year.

Cookhorn was also found guilty of possession of a firearm with intent.

Today (Monday, January 27) both were sentenced to life imprisonment, with Cookhorn to serve a minimum of 28 years and Graham to serve a minimum of 25 years.

Youths Jayden O’Neill-Crichlow, 17 from Tottenham, Shane Lyons, 17 from Wood Green and Ojay Hamilton, 17 from Edmonton were also found guilty of Mr Gabbidon-Lynck's murder and grievous bodily harm with intent in relation to the second man.

The judge had lifted reporting restictions that stopped them being named.

They were all sentenced to life imprisonment and serve a minimum of 21 years.

All five killers were sentenced to a total of 116 years in prison.

Sheareem Cookhorn

They were members of a Tottenham-based gang, who on the night of the February 22, 2019 set off on bicycles towards Wood Green to search for suspected rival gang members.

Between them they were armed with five knives, a handgun and shotgun.

Tyrell Graham

The night before the attack the gang had parked a silver Peugeot 307 on the Broadwater Farm Estate, which would become their meeting point before and after the attack.

On approaching Lordship Lane near the Vue cinema complex, the group first sighted the victims who were with two others.

After seeing the victims, the defendants had immediately dropped their bicycles and produced knives and the firearm.

Cookhorn had fired shots at the victims – one bullet travelled through the open door of a store, narrowly missing customers and staff.

The victims’ group prepared for a fight but changed their minds and decided to flee when Cookhorn had fired his handgun.

Ojay Hamilton

But the attackers began to chase after the victims, brandishing their weapons in plain sight.

During the chase the victims’ group divided into two pairs. Mr Gabbidon-Lynck and the other victim ran back towards their parked car, while the other two escaped unharmed.

After losing two of the victims, the defendants returned to their bicycles and went back after Mr Gabbidon-Lynck and the other victim, who had now run off in different directions.

They soon caught up with the 20-year-old victim and surrounded him.

It was then the defendants had attacked him, stabbing him eight times and shooting him once in the buttock.

Shane Lyons

However, their attack was interrupted when Mr Gabbidon-Lynck - who had managed to return to his parked car - drove towards the attackers in a failed attempt to frighten them off.

The defendants had begun to strike the vehicle’s windows and windscreen with their weapons.

Mr Gabbidon-Lynck tried to escape by reversing his car away but got himself stuck when he reversed into several parked cars on Vincent Road.

Jayden O’Neill-Crichlow

He decided to leave his car and ran into a hairdresser’s shop that was just across the road hoping to barricade himself inside.

However, the defendants had followed him inside and left Mr Gabbidon-Lynck with fatal stab injuries.

Catherine Gould, from the CPS, said: “This is a tragic case of gang rivalry. A teenager lost his life that night, stabbed to death in a busy hair salon, and another was seriously injured by defendants who showed a brazen disregard for members of the local community, running through the streets of Wood Green brandishing their weapons.

“Throughout all of this, it must not be forgotten that were it not for the actions of Mr Gabbidon-Lynck, his friend may well have lost his life too.

“The defendants clearly thought their covered faces and dark clothes would protect them from being identified. When one of the defendants was stopped by police nearby, he even had the audacity to tell officers that he hoped they would cut down on knife crime, just after he had stabbed someone to death.

“These sentences take some very dangerous young criminals off the streets of the capital. Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of Mr Gabbidon-Lynck.”