A woman whose husband was shot dead as he tried to protect her son from a gunman has described the devastating effect of the attack on her family.

Christopher Thomas of Morrison House, Tulse Hill, was jailed for life on Monday, for murdering Carlton Ned and shooting his wife Donna Michael, in their home in Langdale Road, Thornton Heath, in the early hours of July 1, 2011.

In a victim impact statement read out in court, Mrs Michael said she had struggled to come to terms with her husband’s death.

She said: “Our home was violated that night, resulting in me being shot and wounded and Carlton being killed.

“I live with the pain of losing my husband prematurely. My family has been devastated with what has occurred.

“This young man has shamed his family, left them with the disgrace and stigma.

“I am as sad for his family as much as my own – as a mother you do not set out to produce a killer.”

The Old Bailey heard Thomas, 22, and his accomplice were targeting Mrs Michael’s son Karl Wilson, an aspiring rapper who performs as Konan.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC, told jurors Mr Wilson, 23, had returned home from a party at about 2.40am, when two men armed with guns forced their way in through the front door as he closed it.

Mr Aylett said: “Karl Wilson immediately ran up the stairs and into his mother’s bedroom, shutting the door behind him and shouting ‘Lock the door, lock the door’.”

Realising he was the intended target he hid in the corner of the bedroom and called the police. The court heard the family desperately tried to barricade themselves in the bedroom, but the gunman repeatedly kicked the door.

When the hinges gave way a gun was pointed through the gap and Mrs Michael was shot in the chest as she begged for her life.

 

Mr Ned, 41, bravely chased the gunman out of the house, but was shot dead at the foot of the stairs.

Thomas was arrested three weeks later after he was seen acting suspiciously by officers in Brockwell Park. When approached, he was seen to discard something and run off.

After catching and arresting him, officers conducted a search of the area and discovered a gun wrapped in a sock. When the gun was examined by firearm experts it was found to have been used in Mr Ned’s murder.

The court heard Thomas and Mr Wilson were known to each other, as their girlfriends were best friends, and it is believed Thomas became jealous of his girlfriend’s friendship with the rapper when they split up.

Late one night in 2010, Thomas lured Mr Wilson to Brockwell Park, by sending him a message pretending to be his girlfriend, Carmina Carew.

As Mr Wilson waited, three hooded men armed with large kitchen knives emerged from the bushes and chased him.

Police were called and when they took Mr Wilson back to his van, they found his tyres had been slashed.

On Monday Thomas was convicted of murder, attempted murder, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and wounding with intent. During the trial he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.

He was jailed for life for murder – with no separate penalty for the attempted murder of Karl Wilson, or the wounding with intent of Mrs Michael – and sentenced to an additional five years for the firearms charge.

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