Two men have been found guilty of murdering a teenager in a planned daylight shooting in south London, in which the gunman disguised himself as a food delivery rider.
Following a trial at the Central Criminal Court (Old Bailey), Neo Duodu-Watson, 18, and Omar Prempeh, 33, were convicted of the murder of Lathaniel Burrell, 16.
The court heard that Duodu-Watson shot the teenager in the chest and back outside a block of flats in Paradise Road, Stockwell, on 4 March last year. He was riding a stolen moped and wearing a jacket commonly used by Just Eat delivery riders to avoid suspicion.
Prosecutors said the gunman used a converted pistol capable of firing live ammunition. One bullet caused catastrophic internal bleeding, and Lathaniel collapsed and died after attempting to run from the scene.
Prempeh, from Forest Hill, was found guilty of assisting the killing by driving Duodu-Watson to and from the location in a white Nissan Juke fitted with a concealed compartment to hide the firearm.
Prosecution barrister Alan Gardner KC told jurors the murder was “planned, organised and premeditated”.
He said the gunman would have fired more shots but the weapon malfunctioned and disintegrated, leaving parts at the scene later recovered by police.
The court was told the defendants used a “trap house” as a base before and after the shooting. The Just Eat jacket was linked to the address, where officers later found live ammunition during a search.
Jurors heard that Prempeh’s vehicle had a specially constructed hiding place suitable for concealing weapons.
The prosecution suggested the killing was linked to illegal drug activity and bore the hallmarks of serious organised crime.
Three other men charged in connection with the case were not convicted after the jury failed to reach verdicts. They are due to face a retrial in November.
Both Duodu-Watson, from Peckham, and Prempeh were remanded in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee of the Metropolitan Police Service praised the investigation.
She said officers carried out “meticulous work” analysing CCTV footage, phone records and social media to reconstruct the suspects’ movements.
She added that the case involved “a deeply troubling element of child exploitation” and extended sympathies to the victim’s family.