Three men have been jailed four years after they were involved in shooting a man dead near his doorstep in east London.
Iron Miah, 40, was attacked on November 19 in 2019 in Nelson Street, Whitechapel and had died in the hospital two days later from the gunshot wound to his head.
The men appeared at the Old Bailey on Wednesday (February 28) where they were sentenced in connection with the incident.
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Met Police launched an investigation after the shooting and used cell site data after they discovered burner phones that had key evidence of communication between the killers.
The court heard that in days leading up to his murder, Iron had been receiving a series of messages on his phone that “made him anxious”.
On the night he was killed, Iron had returned home at around 10pm and had received a call from Ali.
After the call, the police said Iron went out and got into a Honda Civic car on Nelson Street and spoke to the occupants.
Upon leaving the car, Iron had sent a message on his phone saying “viewing done” to Ali and shortly after as he was walking back to his house, a man got out of a parked Volkswagen Polo and approached Iron from behind.
The gunman, the police said, fired a single shot and the bullet struck Iron in the head. He then returned to the car and drove off followed by the Honda Civic that Iron had earlier visited.
The police told the court that Antonio Afflick-McLeod and Aaron Campbell were believed to be the men in the Polo.
The gun used and the Polo car were said to be never recovered, but when Afflick-McLeod was arrested – the police said a large amount of drugs and a sawn-off-shotgun were found at his home address.
Afflick-McLeod was identified by the police as he had bought a SIM card from a convenience store at around 4.30 pm a day before Iron’s murder on Movers Lane in Barking.
Officers seized the CCTV and found him as the purchaser of the SIM card that was crucial evidence that linked him with Ali.
The communication unlocked between the killers using the SIM had convinced the jury of the group’s guilt, Met Police said.
During their enquiries, officers also identified a source who attempted to insert himself into the investigation and provide false intelligence, and who later turned out to be one of the men responsible for Iron’s murder.
The trio were later convicted of Iron’s murder at the Old Bailey on Tuesday (January 9).
Detective Chief Inspector David Whellams said this was a “well planned, deliberate and callous act of violence” in a residential area.
He added: “My team worked tirelessly over a long period of time to ensure that Iron’s family could receive the justice they deserve.
“Nobody deserves to be the victim of such brutality and the three people jailed today will have many years to reflect on that. Our streets are safer now they are behind bars.
“I would like to pay tribute to Iron’s family, who have been extremely supportive of the investigation in the face of a long road to justice, while living with the trauma of losing their loved one. My thoughts are with them today.”
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