Roydon shooting: Men guilty of murdering Robert Powell

Robert Powell, 50, was shot eight times after he left the birthday party at Water Lane, Harlow, Essex, at around 4.45am on June 13, 2020.

The victim, from Roydon, Harlow, was rushed to hospital but died some time later.

A Ford Kuga with cloned number plates stopped near Robert in the seconds before his shooting, when one man stepped out of the car and gunned him down – with one shot hitting two women.

Robert Powell was killed (Image: Essex Police)

The car was eventually traced back to an industrial estate in Epping, where it was dumped before collected hours later.

Using CCTV and analysing mobile phones, two men – Nana Oppong and Israar Shah - were linked with the shooting.

It was found that days before the shooting on June 5, the suspects planned an attack.

Messages also showed the two talking about a specific type of 8mm ammunition, the same type used to kill Robert.

Nana Oppong (Image: Essex Police)

Oppong deleted a significant amount of data from Encrochat, an encrypted messaging service largely used by criminals, in the hours after the shooting to hide incriminating evidence.

Shah was linked to a Toyota Prius recovered from his home address in the days following the shooting.

Israar Shah (Image: Essex Police)

This Prius was spotted travelling in convoy with a Vauxhall Zafira to the location of the murder and it went away from the scene in the moments after the shooting.

Both Oppong and Shah fled the country after the shooting, and Oppong was found in Morocco in September 2022 after trying to enter the country with false documents.

Shah was found in Spain in December 2022 and both were extradited back to the UK.

Israar Shah during his arrest (Image: Essex Police)

The two appeared at Woolwich Crown Court and were charged with murder and possession of a firearm.

Oppong, 43, of West Road, West Ham, was further charged with causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a prohibited weapon.

Both defendants were convicted on all charges on Tuesday (May 28) this year.

Nana Oppong during his arrest (Image: Essex Police)

Oppong admitted a charge of conspiring to supply Class A drugs shortly before the trial.

They are set to be sentenced at the same court on Friday (May 31).

Det Supt Stephen Jennings led the investigation and said: “This murder was unusual in its level of sophistication, organisation and brutality.

“It was not a spontaneous act of violence, but rather a planned and carefully co-ordinated execution.

“While we may never know why the defendants carried out this murder, it is clear Oppong held a grievance against Robert Powell and was committed to seeing him killed.

“Robert’s murder has left his family utterly devastated and they have displayed dignity throughout a years-long investigation and now, a difficult trial.”

Samantha Woolley, a specialist prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service in the East of England, said: “Robert Powell was ambushed and shot eight times as he left a birthday party in a meticulously planned murder.

“Bystanders were left terrified and Mr Powell’s sons had to witness their father being treated at the scene before going to hospital where he died.

“Oppong was the mastermind and Israar Shah acted as a lookout. Both men were at the scene and then quickly fled the country.”