Gang member jailed for Streatham teen's killing (From Your Local Guardian)

Gang member jailed for Streatham teen's killing

2:03pm Thursday 16th February 2012 in Top Stories By Rachel Blundy

A gunman who shot dead an aspiring athlete has been told he will spend a minimum of 30 years behind bars.

Gang member Sodiq Adeojo, 20, was found guilty of murdering Streatham schoolboy Sylvester Akapalara following a trial last year.

Sylvester, 17, a Herne Hill Harrier (HHH) runner, was shot in the neck on December 29, 2010 after meeting two friends to buy about £10 worth of cannabis at a Peckham estate.

The Old Bailey heard how Adeojo chased the three youths down the stairs of Heron House, firing shots until his gun jammed.

The other two teenagers were then stabbed several times as they tried to leave the building, but both survived.

Adeojo, of Shurland Gardens, Peckham, was also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

Detective Inspector Matt Gosling from Trident Gang Crime Command said the stab victims only narrowly avoided death.

He said: “Sylvester was brutally gunned down and murdered in the most callous way and it is only down to the fact that the gun jammed that his friends were not shot too.

“I hope this lengthy sentence will send out a message to anyone thinking of getting involved in gun crime to think again.”

Sylvester’s murder gained national headlines when it was revealed a group dropped leaflets in the area asking people not to “snitch” his murderers to police.

The group, widely condemned by the community and police, were later revealed to be run by those disaffected with police witness protection schemes.