AN Edmonton man has been cleared of the murder of a mother-of-one in a contract killing in Hackney.

Paul Nicoloau, 29, was among seven men accused of arranging the murder of Gulistan Subasi, who was shot dead in March last year.

Prosecutors argued the Weir Hall Road, Upper Edmonton resident had been one of the co-conspirators that organised for 15-year-old Santre Sanchez Gayle to carry out the fatal shooting.

But a jury at the Old Bailey yesterday cleared Mr Nicoloau, along with Ms Subasi's estranged partner Serdar Ozbek, 28, from Tottenham, and 26-year-old Leigh Bryan, of no fixed address, of involvement in the murder.

Gayle, now 16, was found guilty of murder after jurors saw CCTV footage of him arriving at the scene, knocking on the door of Ms Subasi's mother's house, and firing the shot that killed the 26-year-old.

Isaak Billy, 25, from Kensal Rise, was also found guilty of murder for arranging the killing. The court heard he had been paid thousands of pounds for his role, and had given Gayle just £200 for his part in the murder.

Both Gayle and Billy are due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey this morning, and face lengthy stretches behind bars.