‘Bullet casings in handbag link gangster to murder’

Bullet casings used by a gangster in the brutal execution of a rival were found in his girlfriend’s handbag, a court heard.

Taylor Cox, 19, was shot in the head with a .32 bullet in an alleyway in Islington, north London, jurors were told.

Police tracked down one of the killers, Jaden McGibbon, 22, and his girlfriend Dunia Oukili, 21, to a studio flat she had rented in Bloomsbury, central London.

In her handbag, were four fired .32 cartridge cases and two misfired rounds, the Old Bailey heard.

McGibbon along with Sichem Mangituka-Mpelo and Robel Michael, both 22, all deny murder.

Oukili denies perverting the course of justice.

Prosecutor Julian Evans, KC, said: ‘It is the prosecution case that the four fired cartridge cases found inside Dunia Oukili’s handbag were the cases fired from the gun that fired the shot that killed Taylor Cox.’

On the day of the killing, 8 June 2021, Cox was riding a Lime electric bike in alley towards Hornsey Rise Gardens with a friend called Kieran Thomas who was also on a bike.

They were both member of a gang called the ‘A Team’ from the N19 area of London and both were armed with knives.

The allesged killer were linked to the New Orleans Gang from the same area.

Mr Evans said: ‘Although it was a bright sunny day, and people were about, both men seem to have been making efforts to partially conceal their appearance.

‘Both of them were wearing face masks, and they both had the hoods of their tops up and over their heads.

‘Each of them was carrying a weapon – Taylor Cox was carrying a large kitchen knife and Kieran Thomas was carrying a smaller knife with a serrated blade.

‘As Taylor Cox and Kieran Thomas rode towards Crouch Hill, the first three defendants were all in the near vicinity- Jaden McGibbon was on a bicycle, Robel Michael and Sichem Mpelo were both on foot.

‘In due course, Jaden McGibbon, Robel Michael and Sichem Mpelo became aware of the presence of Taylor Cox and Kieran Thomas nearby.

‘This prompted the three of them to meet up and then to go and look for Taylor Cox and Kieran Thomas.

‘Having found them, the three of them attacked Cox and Thomas – an attack that involved the use of a loaded firearm.

‘McGibbon, Michael and Mpelo met up in Parkland Walk a little distance to the north of the alleyway.

‘Moments after meeting up, the three of them left Parkland Walk. They did so together. McGibbon was on his bike- Michael and Mpelo were both on foot.

‘Just before 16:24, Sichem Mpelo was seen on CCTV running down the pathway- he was heading towards the alleyway.

‘Jaden McGibbon was about 4 seconds or so behind Mpelo; he was on his bike. He was also seen on CCTV heading down the pathway towards the alleyway.

‘By now, Jaden McGibbon was prepared for trouble- by this time, his face was partially covered, possibly with a balaclava.

‘In the moments that followed, the two groups appear to have converged in the vicinity of the alleyway.

‘Moments later, Taylor Cox was shot in the alleyway. He was shot once, in the head, and fell to the floor at the end of the alleyway.

‘The bullet caused a catastrophic head injury from which he later died.’

Later that day Oukili booked the studio flat in Cartwright Gardens under her own name and bought a new SIM card for her boyfriend.

On June 10 she arranged for a friend to change McGibbon’s hairstyle.

She is also said to have arranged transport for McGibbon and provided a false witness statement to police.

McGibbon, Waltersville Road, Hornsey, Michael, of Caledonian Road, Islington, and Mangituka-Mpelo, of Sussex Way, Holloway, all deny murder.

Oukili, of Harrington Square, Harlesden, denies perverting the course of justice.

The trial continues and is set to last seven weeks.