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August 2023
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Three teenagers have been found guilty of the murder of 17-year-old Anas Mezenner in Tottenham. The three defendants, all aged 17, appeared before the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 25 August where they were convicted as follows: [A] was found guilty of the manslaughter of Anas Mezenner and grievous bodily harm [GBH] with unlawful wounding in relation to a second 17-year-old male who was also stabbed during the incident. [B] was found guilty of the murder of Anas Mezenner and GBH wounding with intent in relation to a second 17-year-old male who was also stabbed during the incident. [C] was found guilty of the manslaughter of Anas Mezenner. All three are remanded in custody to appear for sentencing at the same court on Thursday, 30 September. manslaughter vs murder The court heard how Anas was with a group of three friends in the area around West Green Road on the evening of Tuesday, 19 January. At around 21:00hrs Anas and his friends were confronted by the suspects in Willow Walk, N15 who were armed with at least three knives. In the ensuing attack, Anas was stabbed and assaulted and left for dead. His three friends were chased and although they managed to escape, one of them received a stab wound to the back. Police and London Ambulance Service were called to the scene and found Anas collapsed in the street. He was taken to hospital; however – despite the best efforts of medical staff, Anas died in the early hours of the following morning. An investigation was launched and following an analysis of the scene vital evidence was recovered. A Chrysler vehicle was found parked in nearby Milton Road – it was searched and two large knives were recovered inside. Forensic analysis of the vehicle yielded fingerprints belonging to two of the defendants. CCTV analysis of the surrounding area was secured and was found to show the three defendants in the moments before and after the attack. On Wednesday, 20 January a warrant was executed at an address in Turnpike Lane and [A] and [B] were arrested. A search of the address recovered another knife and clothing that could link to the suspects shown on CCTV. An analysis of a mobile phone seized from [A] also revealed messages describing the fatal attack. On Wednesday, 27 January a further warrant was executed in Tottenham and [C] was arrested. A further knife was recovered at this address. In police interview, two of the suspects refused to answer questions but [A] provided a prepared statement claiming he was at a friend’s house on the night of the murder and never left; this was plainly untrue as CCTV had identified him at the scene. All three males were subsequently charged with Anas’s murder and GBH for the attack on his friend. Detective Inspector Louise Caveen from the Met’s Specialist Crime said: “This was a clinical and violent attack that left a young man with fatal injuries. In a matter of seconds, Anas was stabbed, assaulted and left to die on the street - another example of a young life needlessly lost as a result of knives being on our streets. “While we have not been able to establish exactly why Anas was attacked, we believe the confrontation took place as a result of an incident, some years before, where one of Anas’s group had had their phone taken. "Whilst Anas and his friends may have anticipated a confrontation, they did not attend the location armed with knives with the intent of using lethal force as the suspects did. “The loss of Anas has been devastating for his family and I sincerely hope they can take a small measure of comfort in knowing that those responsible for his death have been held to account.” + A 14-year-old male [D] was found not guilty of all counts at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 25 August. Banned knife guidelines source
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Two men who were part of a gang who broke into a property in Enfield and then shot a man have been convicted of attempted murder.
Asharn Williams, 22, (03.02.1999), of Tylers Gate, Harrow, and Mickell Barnett, 21, (21.01.2000) of no fixed address, were convicted on Tuesday, 13 July, after a six-week trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court. They will be sentenced on Friday, 24 September at the same court. Murder vs manslaughter what is the difference ? The jury heard that on 23 February 2019, a two-car convoy containing gang members from Brent travelled to an address in Enfield, intent on causing serious harm. Just before 01:00hrs, a group of males, including Williams and Barnett, broke into a home in Enfield armed with a shotgun. Three occupants inside the property, fearing for their lives, fled upstairs. The 26-year-old victim – unconnected to gangs - attempted to barricade himself behind a flimsy internal door, pushing against his attackers to try and save his life. At this point a shotgun was fired twice simultaneously through the door hitting the victim’s abdomen, causing life threatening injuries. The attackers then fled the property, leaving the victim seriously wounded, and returned to Brent. The complex investigation was passed to Trident detectives from the Specialist Crime Command North West Hub. They interviewed an extensive number of witnesses, and CCTV and mobile phone enquires led them to the identify and arrest of a number of suspects. complex crime solicitors Although there were no forensics at the scene, via painstaking analysis of automatic number pate recognition – ANPR – and phone evidence, detectives placed the defendants at the scene of the attack. The prosecution also showed evidence from a drill music video which revealed both Williams and Barnett, and which featured other gang affiliates. The investigation revealed gang tensions around north west London identified a motive for escalating violence in the area. DC Anthony Sinclair, of Operation Trident, said: “This was a completely mindless attack on a young man. The defendants’ actions were callous and heartless – effectively leaving a man to die at the scene. “The victim is still recovering from his injuries. The impact on the victim and his family have been devastating. “This has been a trying and challenging case but I'm extremely relieved that today a jury found them guilty of the crimes. It takes dangerous offenders off the streets and helps keep London safe. ‘’ The victim’s mother said: "As a result of being shot close hand with a faulty shotgun, my son sustained significant injuries during the incident. On his road to recovery he has undergone numerous surgeries and is also likely to be subjected to more surgical interventions in the future to try and manage some of the damage that has resulted from the attack. "The impact of the shooting on the victim and his family have been significant. In addition to managing the physical injuries, we have also been left extremely traumatised as a result of the shooting. “The shooting was gang-related, however the victim is not and has never been part of a gang. Notwithstanding this, his life has still be severely impacted by the violence and the chaos resulting from gang activity in the capital and the ongoing and often petty disputes between opposing gangs that have significant consequences. "The family are very grateful to the Metropolitan Police for their efforts to both identify and punish the individuals responsible for the attack, and to help us understand the events that took place that night. "Unfortunately the police were not able to charge all of the individuals they believe are responsible for the shooting. However our family is still very grateful that they were able to bring charges against some of the individuals who were involved in this incident, and that these people will face the consequences of their choices and actions and will no longer present a significant threat to public safety.'' source
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Summary of the Case Below: The case revolves around Daniel Burrell, a 40-year-old man of no fixed address, who was sentenced for the manslaughter of Barrington Davis in Lewisham, London. Mr Davis's body was discovered in his flat after neighbours noticed a strange smell. The post-mortem examination revealed the cause of death to be multiple stab wounds. Burrell was arrested on suspicion of murder, initially released under investigation, and subsequently charged with murder in November 2019. However, following the trial at the Old Bailey, he was convicted of manslaughter. He was given a Section 37 Hospital Order, which ensures he is detained indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital. A Section 41 Restriction Order was also applied to regulate potential future release into the community.
Part of the Law: The law here primarily involves criminal law, specifically laws relating to manslaughter and murder. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human being with malice aforethought, whereas manslaughter lacks the element of malice. The jury convicted Burrell of manslaughter instead of murder, which could indicate that they did not find enough evidence of premeditation or intention to kill. Still, it held Burrell responsible for Davis's death. In terms of the sentences given, the Section 37 Hospital Order is a type of sentence under the Mental Health Act 1983 of UK law. This is applied when an offender is deemed to be suffering from a mental disorder of a nature or degree, warranting detention in a hospital for assessment (or for assessment followed by medical treatment). The Section 41 Restriction Order can be imposed alongside a Hospital Order. This is typically used when it is necessary to protect the public from serious harm. Possible Outcomes or Sentencing: Considering the case details, if the jury had found enough evidence of premeditation or intention, they could have convicted Burrell of murder, which carries a mandatory life sentence in the UK. The specific length of time to be served before being eligible for parole would depend on the circumstances of the crime. Alternatively, if Burrell had been deemed mentally fit and convicted of manslaughter, he could have faced a custodial sentence in prison instead of a psychiatric hospital. The sentence length would have been at the judge's discretion, guided by sentencing guidelines. Manslaughter sentences can range from a few years to life imprisonment, depending on the case's specifics. Finally, if the court had not applied for a Section 41 Restriction Order, it would have given more leeway for Burrell's release once the hospital team responsible for his care deemed him no longer a risk, subject to review by a mental health tribunal. The restriction order means that the Ministry of Justice must also agree to his discharge, adding an extra layer of public safety. A man has been sentenced for the manslaughter of Barrington Davis in Lewisham. Daniel Burrell, 40 (09.09.80) of no fixed address, appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday, 14 July where he was sentenced to a Section 37 Hospital Order enforcing he remain indefinitely detained in a secure psychiatric hospital. A Section 41 Restriction Order was added providing stringent control over any possibility of his release back into the community. Burrell was convicted at the same court on Tuesday, 13 July by a jury that returned a unanimous verdict finding him guilty of the manslaughter of Barrington Davis. Business crime solicitors Sheffield The jury heard at around 07:00hrs on Wednesday, 16 May 2019, police were called to an address at Torridon Road, SE6. The call was made after a resident at the multi-occupancy property raised concerns when a smell began to emanate from Mr Davis’s flat. Officers attended the address and forced entry to the flat finding the body of 54-year-old Barrington Davis inside. It was clear that he had been dead for some time. A special post-mortem took place at Greenwich Mortuary on Sunday, 19 May 2019 and found the cause of death to have been multiple stab-wounds. Daniel Burrell, then aged 39, was arrested on 18 May 2019 on suspicion of murder. He was released under investigation following police enquires was charged with Mr Davis’s murder on 4 November 2019. Burrell appeared for trial at the Old Bailey and, on 13 July was convicted of manslaughter. He was remanded in custody for sentencing as above. Detective Inspector Jo Sidaway of the Met’s Specialist Crime Command said: “Our thoughts today are with the family of Barrington Davis. “We may never know the circumstances surrounding his death and it saddens me to leave his loved ones with so many questions unanswered. I hope that they find a measure of closure now that legal proceedings are at an end. “I agree with the verdict and the sentence handed down and am relieved that Daniel Burrell will now receive the medical help that he needs in an environment where he is not a danger to others.” A spokesperson for Barrington’s family said: "Barrington was an intelligent, well-dressed, music-loving, funny and caring father, brother and uncle, who we will all miss dearly. "The verdict of manslaughter has brought some form of closure to our family and although this won’t bring Barrington back, we feel as though justice has prevailed. There will always be a void left in our hearts." source |