Drug dealer Ricardo Anderson opens fire to protect his turf in London

Dramatic footage captures the moment a gunman fires repeatedly at his rivals on a busy street as children flee in terror.

Ricardo Anderson, 21, was on ‘century duty’ wearing a balaclava on Park Lane, Tottenham, waiting for a rival gang’s vehicle which had entered his gang’s territory.

When the blue VW Golf drove down the street at around 8pm and pointed a gun out of the window he ran out from hiding taking a pistol out of a plastic bag and fired at least three rounds.

The rival gang attempted to fire back but their gun was jammed and they sped off as Anderson continued to fire on 27 May last year.

Members of the public including children sought refuge in shops and scrambled for safety behind parked cars.

One woman had to roll along the kerb by the side of the car to avoid the bullets.

There is an ‘ongoing violent rivalry’ between Anderson’s gang the Northumberland Park Killers, based in Tottenham, and rivals the Original Farm Boys, the court heard.

The OFB members were entering Tottenham to carry out a revenge shooting after some of their members had been fired at by members of the NPK the day before.

Forensic evidence showed the same gun Anderson used on Park Lane had been used in the shooting on the previous day.

Anderson denied but was convicted of attempted grievous bodily harm and possession of a firearm and ammunition with intent to endanger life.

He was jailed for 16 and a half years at the Old Bailey today (weds) after Judge Simon Mayo, KC, said: ‘I am sure that your intention fell not that far short of an intention to kill.

‘There were not mere warning shots, they were repeated shots which were repeatedly aimed at the vehicle and you took up a position that you believed would give you the best line of fire.

‘It is without doubt that you exposed many people to the very greatest risk of death and injury.

‘Those include members of the public who were simply going about their business as you opened fire.

‘It is for no reason but good fortune that no one was injured or killed as a result of your actions.

‘Your relative youth is an important factor I have kept in mind through this sentencing exercise.

‘The fact that you are by all accounts an intelligent young man with identifiable potential to proceed in life is a tragic aspect of this case.

‘The fact you will not be able to realise that potential is a direct consequence of the decision you have made including choosing to associate with a violent gang.’

At least three rounds were fired damaging five different cars on the road.

Prosecutor Eleanor Mawrey said: ‘The defendant was stood on a pavement in Park Lane in Tottenham when he fired multiple shorts at a car travelling down Park Lane.

‘Park Lane is a busy residential street with with shops, and CCTV showed various members of the public out and about when bullets were being shot from gun.

‘This was an incident which flowed from a previous incident the night before where members of the NPK gang had gone into the rival gang area and fired multiple shots at the Original Farm Boys.

‘That had led on the day in question to members of OFB travelling in a car down Park Lane where Mr Anderson was on century duty waiting for them to appear.

‘When they did the car stopped, the back rear window opened and an arm came out holding a gun aiming to shoot at Mr Anderson and the pavement and in return Mr Anderson took out a gun he had in a plastic bag on his person and began to shoot in the direction of that car which drove off.’

Anderson was prohibited from carrying a firearm at the time of the shooting due to his previous convictions.

Ms Mawrey said: ‘Even once the threat of the rival car had gone as their gun had jammed and they began to drive off, one can see from the CCTV Mr Anderson changes position to continue to fire as the car fled the scene.’

‘For all those present at the scene it must have been a very terrifying and traumatic experience.’

When Anderson was arrested 23 grammes of cocaine, five grammes of heroin and eight wraps of cannabis were found in his home.

At the police station 39 wraps of cocaine and five grammes of heroin were found in his underwear.

The drugs had a street value of £2,120.

The gun was never found.

Mark Dacey, defending, said Anderson is intelligent and had the potential to do well in society.

He said that the fact someone like Anderson got drawn into gangs shows the difficulty to avoid it when growing up in the area of Tottenham.

Mr Dacey said that while services and help was available youths have to work very hard to find or access them.

Anderson had been at college but dropped out after being sent to prison for breaching a community service order.

He has been studying criminology in prison.

The judge was handed a reference from the principle of Haringey Sixth Form College and a voluntary organisation and football team in Haringey which Anderson helped with.

Anderson, of Manor Road, Tottenham, denied but was convicted of attempted grievous bodily harm, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life and possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life.

He denied and was cleared of attempted murder.

He admitted possession with intent to supply cocaine heroin and cannabis.