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August 2023
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Two men have been convicted for the murder of a man who was shot and killed on his own doorstep in Finsbury Park.
Chad Gordon, 27, was shot as he opened the door to his address in Wiltshire Gardens, N4 on the evening of 18 May 2020. He was the victim of mistaken identity in an escalating feud between two local groups. At the Old Bailey on Tuesday, 25 May two men were convicted as follows: - Mason Sani-Semedo, 19 (05.09.01) of West Green Road, Tottenham was found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. - Cameron Robinson, 20 (09.08.00) of Rainham Road South, Dagenham was found guilty of murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. On the evening of 18 May 2020, Chad Gordon was at his home address in Wiltshire Gardens. At approximately 20:20hrs he went to answer a knock at the door; as Chad opened the door he was confronted by Sani-Semedo and Robinson who had arrived at the address on a moped. Sani-Semedo produced a firearm and shot Chad in the face. As Sani-Semedo and Robinson fled the scene, they pointed the firearm towards a mother and child who were walking in the street in order to make good their escape. Police and London Ambulance Service rushed to the scene, but despite their efforts Chad was pronounced dead at the scene at 21:07hrs. Around 30 minutes after the fatal shot was fired, London Fire Brigade received a call to reports of a fire in the Lea Valley area. A subsequent search of the scene revealed this was the moped used in the shooting that had been dumped and set alight. Police subsequently attended the scene and managed to recover items, including two bike helmets, similar to those used by the suspects in the shooting. Officers established that there had been ongoing tensions between two groups in the area in the days preceding Chad’s murder. It was also confirmed that a male, suspected to be the intended target for the shooting, lived next door to Chad. Officers established the motive for the attack was a revenge attack for the murder of Jamal Ebrahim in Tottenham on 13 May 2020. Following the arrests, phone analysis provided further proof of the defendants’ co-ordination of events, reinforcing the CCTV images of their movements and meetings prior to the murder. What is the difference between manslaughter an murder? Detective Inspector Laura Nelson from Specialist Crime who led the investigation, said: “The murder of Chad Gordon was utterly senseless. His death has left his local community devastated. Chad was at home with his family when he was killed. No one could have anticipated the tragedy that followed when he answered the knock at his front door. “Chad was a kind person, unassuming, who enjoyed spending his time at a local club that supported people with learning difficulties. He was well liked amongst his neighbours and was described by many as a ‘gentle giant’. It is deplorable that he lost his life in such a brutal and unnecessary manner. “As if the killing wasn’t bad enough, Robinson and Sani-Semedo aimed the same firearm at a mother and child in order to affect their escape. Their behaviour is no less than abhorrent and shameful. “Chad’s murder was not a random act. It was planned by men who thought that their plan would be clever enough, on the day, to enable them to get away with murder. The moped used was stolen and was burnt out immediately after the shooting. Identities were concealed through clothing and telephones were dropped after the murder was committed. “However no matter how cunning perpetrators thought they were, they simply could not outsmart my team who have worked tirelessly, viewing thousands of hours of CCTV, seeking justice for Chad. I would like to thank them for their hard work which has contributed to today’s verdict. “Chad’s family will never be able to comprehend the circumstances of how their loved one lost his life. They have shown dignity and strength throughout this investigation and I hope that today’s verdict will bring them solace. Chad’s senseless death has had a huge impact on the local community and I hope that the significant sentences imposed will help them to begin to heal and to perhaps feel just a little bit safer in their homes. “There is no kudos in committing murder. I can only hope that the two individuals convicted today will realise just how reckless their actions were and the devastation that they have caused.” Chad’s mother, Ann Marie Wilson, said: “At 8:25pm I received the worst phone call that any parent dreads, to say that something beyond my imagination has happened to my child. He had been shot. I prayed to the almighty God for him to be ok but my prayer was not to be answered. At 9:20pm the earth shattering phone call came, a conversation with my little sister I will never forget, “I’m so sorry Sis, but he didn’t make it”. “The numbness spread all over me. My world shattered, my heart broke into tiny pieces and cannot be mended. “Chad was my world, my everything, but most of all my first born and he was no more. Our lives have been ruined. He will not be around to enjoy and participate in the merriment, jovial and frivolity of these occasions, all his birthdays and family celebrations. The chance to see Chad having a family of his own and a promising future has been taken away from us. “The night he answered the door has put our family into disarray and has torn our worlds apart. The family home where Chad grew up has been left behind because of the painful memory of this death, which a year on is still difficult to return to. “You will never know how difficult it is to just get through a day much less the rest of our lives without him, without hearing his laughter, without seeing his smile, without hearing his voice and feeling his big strong cuddles.” Chad’s father, Narson Gordon, said: “Anyone who knew or met Chad would instantly recognise ‘a gentle giant’ with humility to match. The hurt and anguish caused by his evil murder is immeasurable. “The void left is deeply felt by his aunts, sisters, nephews, nieces, cousins and especially by his 95-year-old grandmother who is still inconsolable. “It is heart wrenchingly sad that Chad was not allowed to flourish and live beyond the age of 27. I wish this for no parent.” + Three other men were on trial with Sani-Semedo and Robinson. On Tuesday, 25 May all three of them were found not guilty of murder at the Old Bailey. Source Comments are closed.
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