A gun-loving gang member who shot dead a Jamaican in Streatham after a minor traffic collision will spend at least the next 25 years in jail.

Junior Cameron, 27, was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey today for the murder of Gary Guthrie, 35, in Hopton Road, last year.

His co-defendant Darrell Albert, 28, was also jailed for life for the attempted murder of Mr Guthrie’s best friend Rowan Williams, 31, who was gunned down in the same shooting incident, after all the men had been at a Streatham nightclub on October 22, 2007.

Judge Robert Owen, told them the severity of their sentences was to combat rising levels of gun crime.

He said: “Gun crime is increasingly prevalent on the streets of our cities, those who go about armed with firearms, and use them to murder and attempt to murder must be under no illusion of the sentences they will face.”

Albert and Cameron - who regularly carried weapons - gunned down the two men minutes after they all left Streatham nightclub, the Starlight Rooms, situated behind the Streatham Ice Arena, shortly after 5am, the Old Bailey jury was told.

They were driving home in Guthrie’s girlfriend Ethel Coleman’s car, when two cars sped past them, clipping their vehicle, before screeching to a halt with 180 degree handbrake turns.

The Jamaicans got out of the cars to investigate what had happened, when the two gunmen emerged from the cars.

After being patted down, a struggle ensued and the two men were shot as they all tried to flee.

Mr Guthrie was fatally shot through the chest and lung by Cameron.

Mr Williams survived after surgery to remove a bullet fired by Albert from the base of his neck.

The prosecution presented the shootings as an apparently motiveless crime, but the two shooters had their minimum jail terms reduced because Judge Owen said he could not rule out the defence’s claims the Jamaicans had also been armed, and had provoked their attackers.

Cameron was sentenced to life in jail for murder, to serve a minimum of 26 years, of which he has already served 487 days.

He was also jailed for 12 years for possession of the Steyr firearm he used to gun down Guthrie, and a total of 25 years for possession of a stash of weapons and ammunition - including a Mach 10 machine gun - the had hidden behind a panel in his girlfriend’s bathroom.

He will serve the sentences concurrently.

Albert, was sentenced to life for attempted murder, to serve a minimum of 13 years.

He was also jailed for 12 years for the possession of the Baikal pistol he used to shoot Williams in the back.

He will also serve the sentences concurrently.

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