A teenager has been sentenced to life in prison for the fatal shooting of a young man near the Damilola Taylor Youth Centre. Jesse Lloyd-Smith was found critically injured close to his home in Peckham, south-east London, on July 10, 2024. Gabriel Charles, 19, had driven to the location in a burnt-out Ford S-Max, fleeing the country after the incident and denying involvement.
Today, Charles was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years by Judge Patrick Field KC at the Old Bailey. The judge described the killing as a planned and deliberate act, involving the acquisition of a stolen vehicle, a firearm, and surveillance to track Jesse’s movements. While Charles may have not been the gunman, the judge noted that both he and an accomplice had the intention to kill.
Charles, from Southwark, south London, was found guilty of murder, while co-defendant Kywan JN Pierre was cleared of murder but convicted of obstructing justice. Additionally, five others were convicted of aiding in the disposal of evidence to evade justice.
During the trial, it was revealed that the gunman had approached Jesse, firing multiple shots before fleeing in the S-Max. Jesse’s mother, Ty Lloyd-Smith, who heard the shots from her flat, found her son shot in the head in the alleyway. Despite emergency surgery, Jesse succumbed to his injuries the following day.
Evidence recovered from the scene included spent cartridges and bullets from a 9mm pistol. CCTV footage captured part of the incident, assisting in the investigation. The accomplices involved in covering up the crime were also sentenced, with varying terms ranging from two to five years.
In response to the conviction, Ty Lloyd-Smith expressed the family’s ongoing emotional struggle following the loss of her son and commended the efforts of the law enforcement teams. She called for community support in creating a safer environment for children, emphasizing the importance of justice and safety for all.
Judge Field acknowledged the profound impact of the murder on the victim’s family and condemned the disrespectful behavior exhibited by the defendants during the trial. He praised the family’s strength and dignity throughout the proceedings, contrasting it with the defendants’ behavior in court.
