Drill music gangsters jailed for 71 years for gunning down innocent man in his Enfield home

Asharn Williams, 22, and Mickell Barnett, 21, were found to be part of “violent gang offending” who targeted a 26-year-old man, who was never even part of a gang.
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Two gang members who shot a man in the stomach at close range have been sentenced to a combined 71 years because of their extreme “dangerousness”.

Asharn Williams, 22, and Mickell Barnett, 21, were found to be part of “violent gang offending” who targeted a 26-year-old man, who was never even part of a gang.

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Both men were identified as being a part of the violent drill music scene and had even appeared in music videos.

The jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court heard that on February 23 2019, a two-car convoy containing gang members from Brent travelled to an address in Enfield, intent on causing serious harm.

Just before 1am, a group of males, including Williams and Barnett, broke into a home in Enfield armed with a shotgun.

Three occupants inside the property, fearing for their lives, fled upstairs.

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The 26-year-old victim attempted to barricade himself behind a flimsy internal door, pushing against his attackers to try and save his life.

At this point a shotgun was fired twice through the door hitting the victim in the abdomen, causing life-threatening injuries.

The attackers fled the property, leaving the victim seriously wounded, before returning to Brent.

After interviewing several witnesses and using automatic number plate recognition cameras and mobile phone data, the detectives were able to place the defendants at the scene of the attack.

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The six-week trial concluded with a jury finding Williams, of Tylers Gate, Harrow, and Barnett, of no fixed address, guilty for attempted murder.

Williams was sentenced to 31 years in prison at a sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court yesterday, while Barnett was sentenced to 32 years imprisonment.

Due to the finding of dangerousness, two thirds of their sentences must be served in prison prior to any consideration of parole.

The victim’s mother said: “As a result of being shot at close hand with a shotgun, my son sustained significant injuries during the incident.

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“On his road to recovery he has undergone numerous surgeries and is also likely to be subjected to more surgical interventions in the future to try and manage some of the damage that has resulted from the attack.

“The impact of the shooting on my son and our family has been significant. As well as managing the physical injuries, we have also been left extremely traumatised.

“The shooting was gang-related, however my son was not and has never been part of a gang.

“Notwithstanding this, his life has still been severely impacted by the violence and the chaos resulting from gang activity and the ongoing and often petty disputes between opposing gangs that have significant consequences.

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“Our family is very grateful to the Metropolitan Police for their efforts to both identify and punish the individuals responsible for the attack, and to help us understand the events that took place that night.

“Unfortunately the police were not able to charge all of the individuals they believe are responsible for the shooting.

“However our family is still very grateful that they were able to bring charges against some and that they will face the consequences of their choices and actions and will no longer present a significant threat to public safety.”

Det Sgt Mark Attridge, from the Trident gangs squad, said: “The sentences passed are significant for a case of attempted murder and should send out a very clear message that if you choose to immerse yourself in the gang lifestyle then you can expect arrest and substantial terms of imprisonment if found guilty of crimes attributed to gang offending.

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“Both Williams and Barnett are violent gang members who are now paying the price for the choices they have made.

“Both young men have previous arrests and convictions attributed to their lifestyle with Barnett already serving nearly seven years for a gang-related stabbing.”

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